2000
#94,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Wandtke
A surname derived from a Polish place name, possibly the village of Wandtke.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 249 Americans carry the last name Wandtke. That puts it at #91,198 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,376,523 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wandtke 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
249
1 in 1,376,523
Census rank
#91,198
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
217
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 217 bearers of the surname Wandtke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 91198th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wandtke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.3%) and Hispanic (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wandtke
The surname Wandtke is of German origin, deriving from the Lower German word "wandtke," which means "small wall" or "low wall." This name likely originated in the northern regions of Germany during the medieval period, referring to someone who lived near a small wall or enclosure.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Wandtke can be traced back to the 16th century in various German regions. One notable example is Johann Wandtke, a merchant born in Lübeck in 1543, whose name appears in various trade records from that era.
In the 17th century, the name Wandtke is found in several historical documents from the Prussian region, including the birth records of Hans Wandtke, born in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) in 1624. This area was then part of the Duchy of Prussia, which later became part of the Kingdom of Prussia.
During the 18th century, the Wandtke surname spread across various parts of Germany, with notable individuals such as Friedrich Wandtke, a Lutheran pastor born in Saxony in 1712, and Amalie Wandtke, a renowned artist from Berlin, born in 1765.
As the 19th century dawned, the Wandtke name continued to appear in various German records, including the birth of Karl Wandtke, a successful businessman from Hamburg in 1823, and the famous writer and philosopher, Emil Wandtke, born in Silesia (now part of Poland) in 1847.
While the Wandtke surname is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with historical German migration or influence, such as the Netherlands, Poland, and Russia.
Throughout its history, the Wandtke surname has been connected to individuals from various professions, including merchants, clergy, artists, and intellectuals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wandtke
Among Census respondents with the surname Wandtke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.3%) and Hispanic (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wandtke 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 Wandtke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.8% · 210
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 1
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wandtke
Wandtke 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
#90,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
+23 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 3,374 places
2020
#91,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 217
+14 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 345 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #94,227 | 180 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,853 | 203 | 0.07 | +23 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 3,374 places |
| 2020 | #91,198 | 217 | 0.07 | +14 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 345 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 Wandtke 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 | #90,853 | #91,198 | -0.4% |
| Count | 203 | 217 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wandtke bearers went from 203 to 217 (+6.9% change). The surname moved down 345 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,853 to #91,198.
FAQ
Wandtke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wandtke?
Name Census estimates that about 249 living Americans carry the surname Wandtke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,376,523 residents.
How common is Wandtke?
Wandtke ranks #91,198 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 217 people with the surname Wandtke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (249), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wandtke.
Has Wandtke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wandtke went from 203 recorded bearers to 217. That is an increase of 14 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #90,853 to #91,198.
What does the Census say about the background of Wandtke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wandtke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.3%) and Hispanic (0.5%). 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 Wandtke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.8% (210 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wandtke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.3%), Hispanic (0.5%). 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 Wandtke (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 Wandtke mean?
A surname derived from a Polish place name, possibly the village of Wandtke. 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 Wandtke (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Wandtke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.