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

Wampler, 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 Wampler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wampler in America

Wampler is the 5482nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wampler surname appeared 6,345 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Wampler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wampler 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 Wampler

The surname Wampler is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "wampe," which means "belly" or "paunch." The name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone who had a protruding belly.

The earliest known record of the surname Wampler dates back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances is in a document from 1287, which mentions a farmer named Konrad Wampler from the village of Altdorf.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Wampler began to appear in various church records and tax rolls across southern Germany. The spellings varied slightly, with variations such as Wampfer, Wampfler, and Wampeler being used interchangeably.

In the 18th century, members of the Wampler family emigrated from Germany to various parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One notable early Wampler was Johann Wampler, born in 1712 in Württemberg, Germany. He later immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1750s and settled in what is now Berks County.

Another significant figure with the Wampler surname was Christian Wampler, born in 1777 in Rockingham County, Virginia. He was a prominent farmer and landowner, and his descendants went on to establish several successful businesses in the region, including the Wampler Poultry Corporation.

In the 19th century, the Wampler name gained further recognition with the birth of Charles W. Wampler (1837-1920), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He later became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Virginia.

Other notable individuals with the Wampler surname include:

1. John C. Wampler (1856-1927), a U.S. Congressman from Missouri.
2. Isaac J. Wampler (1863-1940), a prominent educator and president of Bridgewater College in Virginia.
3. Ernest M. Wampler (1901-1983), a German-American chemist and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of synthetic rubber.
4. Helen Wampler (1935-2022), an American artist and sculptor, renowned for her abstract metal sculptures.
5. Troy Wampler (born 1971), a Canadian musician and singer-songwriter, known for his work in the folk and country genres.

While the Wampler surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a respected family name with a rich history spanning several centuries and continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wampler

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

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

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

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