2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wassberg
A surname derived from a place name referring to a location near water or a stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Wassberg. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wassberg 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Wassberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wassberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wassberg
The surname Wassberg has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German words "wasser" meaning water and "berg" meaning mountain or hill, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name lived near a body of water near a mountain or hill.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Wassberg can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dated around 1280. The name is spelled "Wassbergh" in this record, which was a common variation during that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the name Wassberg was Johann Wassberg, a German merchant and trader who was born in 1412 in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. He was known for his successful trading ventures and is mentioned in several historical records from the period.
Another prominent individual with the Wassberg surname was Hans Wassberg, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1506 to 1573. He was renowned for his intricate woodcut illustrations and was commissioned by several noble families in Germany to create portraits and depictions of historical events.
In the 17th century, the name Wassberg appears in the records of the town of Wasserburg am Inn in Bavaria, which likely derived its name from a similar etymology as the surname. This suggests that some bearers of the Wassberg name may have originated from or lived in this area.
During the 18th century, a notable figure was Friedrich Wassberg, a German philosopher and academic who was born in 1724 in the town of Marburg. He was a professor at the University of Marburg and wrote several treatises on ethics and moral philosophy.
Another individual worth mentioning is Karl Wassberg, a German military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1782 in the city of Hanover, he rose through the ranks and became a respected commander known for his strategic capabilities.
Throughout its history, the Wassberg surname has been associated with various professions, from merchants and traders to artists, academics, and military personnel. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the German language and the geographical features of the regions where the earliest bearers lived.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wassberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Wassberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wassberg 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 Wassberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wassberg
Wassberg 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-15 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,708 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-14 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 22,708 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 8,102 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 Wassberg 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 | #148,347 | #156,449 | -5.5% |
| Count | 111 | 97 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wassberg bearers went from 111 to 97 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 8,102 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #156,449.
FAQ
Wassberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wassberg?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Wassberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Wassberg?
Wassberg ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Wassberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wassberg.
Has Wassberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wassberg went from 111 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Wassberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wassberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Wassberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wassberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (3.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Wassberg (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 Wassberg mean?
A surname derived from a place name referring to a location near water or a stream. 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 Wassberg (0.03 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 people share the surname Wassberg?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.