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

Wanzer, 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 Wanzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wanzer in America

Wanzer is the 29334th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wanzer surname appeared 806 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 Wanzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wanzer 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 Wanzer

The surname Wanzer is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "wanzen," meaning "to wander" or "to roam." It likely originated in the medieval period as a descriptive name for someone who traveled frequently or led a nomadic lifestyle.

The earliest recorded instances of the Wanzer surname can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of Bavaria, southern Germany. In historical records, the name was often spelled with variations such as Wantzer, Wanser, and Wanasser, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

One notable early bearer of this surname was Hans Wanzer, a merchant and landowner from the town of Augsburg, who lived in the late 15th century. His name appears in various municipal records and property deeds from that period.

In the 17th century, the Wanzer family was well-established in the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg), where they were involved in the thriving textile trade. Johannes Wanzer (1620-1688) was a prominent figure in the local guild of weavers and served as a city councilor.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 19th century, Johann Wanzer (1796-1872), a skilled clockmaker from Baden, Germany, immigrated to Switzerland and established a successful watchmaking business in the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Another notable bearer of this surname was Karl Wanzer (1867-1938), a renowned German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Kammergericht (Supreme Court) and the Reichsbank (Imperial Bank).

While the Wanzer name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration. There are historical records of Wanzer families settling in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada, from the late 19th century onwards.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wanzer

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

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

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

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