2000
#11,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,647
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Wagler
A surname of German origin referring to someone who made or used a scale or balance for weighing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,000 Americans carry the last name Wagler. That puts it at #7,371 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,551 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wagler surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,551
Census rank
#7,371
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,360 bearers of the surname Wagler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7371st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wagler, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%) and Hispanic (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wagler
The surname Wagler has its origins in Germany, emerging during the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "wagener," which referred to a wagon maker or someone who built or repaired wagons. This occupational name was likely bestowed upon individuals who worked in this trade, a common practice during that time period.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Wagler can be found in various German records and chronicles from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, where the name is mentioned in connection with a wagon maker in the town of Spandau.
As the surname spread across different regions of Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Wagener, Wägner, and Wägener. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Johannes Wagler, a wagon maker from Nuremberg, who lived in the late 15th century and was mentioned in the city's guild records. Another notable figure was Hans Wagler, a wagon builder from Augsburg, who was commissioned to construct wagons for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Wagler family was Johann Christoph Wagler, a renowned wagon maker from Dresden. His work was highly sought after by nobility and wealthy merchants, and his wagons were known for their intricate designs and craftsmanship.
As the surname spread beyond Germany, it also found its way into other European countries. In the Netherlands, the name took the form of Wagemaker, while in France, it became Charpentier, which means "carpenter" in French.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Wagler. One such person was Johann Georg Wagler (1800-1832), a German ornithologist and herpetologist who made significant contributions to the study of birds and reptiles.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Wagler (1886-1960), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Paul and the German Masonic Fairchild Memorial.
It is worth mentioning that while the surname Wagler originated as an occupational name, over time, it evolved into a hereditary surname, passed down from generation to generation, regardless of the individual's profession.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wagler
Among Census respondents with the surname Wagler, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%) and Hispanic (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wagler bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wagler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.7% · 4,304
- Two or more races0.6% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 15
- Black or African American0.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wagler
Wagler appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,987
+340 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 320 places
2020
#7,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,360
+1,373 bearers (+46.0%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Up 3,330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,021 | 2,647 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,701 | 2,987 | 1.01 | +340 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 320 places |
| 2020 | #7,371 | 4,360 | 1.46 | +1,373 bearers (+46.0%) | Up 3,330 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wagler surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,701 | #7,371 | 31.1% |
| Count | 2,987 | 4,360 | 46.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 1.46 | 44.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wagler bearers went from 2,987 to 4,360 (+46.0% change). The surname moved up 3,330 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,701 to #7,371.
FAQ
Wagler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wagler?
Name Census estimates that about 5,000 living Americans carry the surname Wagler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,551 residents.
How common is Wagler?
Wagler ranks #7,371 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,360 people with the surname Wagler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,000), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wagler.
Has Wagler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wagler went from 2,987 recorded bearers to 4,360. That is an increase of 1,373 (+46.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,701 to #7,371.
What does the Census say about the background of Wagler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wagler, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%) and Hispanic (0.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wagler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.7% (4,304 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wagler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.7%), Two or More Races (0.6%), Hispanic (0.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wagler (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wagler mean?
A surname of German origin referring to someone who made or used a scale or balance for weighing. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wagler (1.46 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Wagler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.