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

Waldeck, 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 Waldeck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waldeck in America

Waldeck is the 20910th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waldeck surname appeared 1,260 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Waldeck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waldeck 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 Waldeck

The surname Waldeck is of German origin, originating from the region of Waldeck in northwestern Germany. The name is derived from the Old German words "wald" meaning forest and "ecke" meaning corner or region, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a forested area.

The earliest recorded instances of the Waldeck surname date back to the 12th century, with references found in medieval records and manuscripts. One notable mention is in the Codex Eberhardi, a 12th-century manuscript from the Waldeck region, which includes several individuals bearing the name Waldeck.

During the Middle Ages, the Waldeck family held significant influence and power in the region, with members serving as counts and rulers of the County of Waldeck. One prominent figure was Adolf III, Count of Waldeck (1292-1349), who played a role in the political affairs of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 16th century, the surname Waldeck gained further recognition when Philipp IV, Count of Waldeck (1483-1539), became a notable supporter of the Protestant Reformation and corresponded with Martin Luther himself. Philipp's son, Franz von Waldeck (1491-1553), was a military commander who served under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Another notable bearer of the Waldeck surname was Georg Friedrich von Waldeck (1620-1692), a Dutch military officer and diplomat who served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1670 to 1675. He played a crucial role in expanding Dutch colonial interests in the region.

The Waldeck surname also has a connection to royalty, with Princess Leonilla Christine of Waldeck (1619-1661) marrying Count Georg Ludwig of Nassau-Dillenburg, the grandfather of Prince William III of Orange, who later became King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

While the Waldeck surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with variations in spelling such as Waldecke, Waldecken, and Waldecken-Pyrmont. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in the historical region of Waldeck in northwestern Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waldeck

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

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 Waldeck 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 Waldeck 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 Waldeck was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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