Find out how popular the last name Wahl is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wahl.

Wahl, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wahl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wahl in America

Wahl is the 2716th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wahl surname appeared 13,253 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Wahl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wahl to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wahl

The surname WAHL is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "wal," meaning "foreign" or "stranger." It was likely given to someone who had moved to a new area or was a traveler from another region.

In its earliest recorded usage, the name was spelled "Wal" or "Wale." Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of "WAHL." Some of the earliest records of this surname can be found in medieval German documents and registers.

One of the earliest known bearers of the WAHL name was Johannes Wahl, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Nuremberg in the late 15th century (c. 1460-1520). Another notable figure was Heinrich Wahl, a German theologian and author who lived in the 16th century (c. 1510-1578).

The WAHL surname was also present in other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland and the Netherlands. In the 17th century, a Dutch family with the surname WAHL was recorded in the city of Amsterdam. One of its members, Jan Wahl (c. 1620-1687), was a prominent trader and merchant in the Dutch East Indies.

In the 18th century, a German-born clergyman named Johann Wahl (1712-1784) emigrated to America and became a prominent figure in the Pennsylvania Dutch community. He played a significant role in the establishment of the German Reformed Church in the American colonies.

Another notable bearer of the WAHL surname was the German-American artist and sculptor William Wahl (1849-1925). Born in Bavaria, he immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and became known for his works depicting scenes from American history and Native American culture.

The WAHL name has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Germany. For example, the town of Wahlheim in the state of Hesse is believed to have derived its name from the WAHL surname. Additionally, the village of Wahl in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate likely originated from the same source.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wahl

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wahl.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wahl was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wahl has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wahl was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wahl, please contact us.

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