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

Wechsler, 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 Wechsler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wechsler in America

Wechsler is the 15806th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wechsler surname appeared 1,842 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wechsler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wechsler 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 Wechsler

The surname WECHSLER originated in Germany and dates back to the Middle Ages. It derives from the German word "Wechsler," which means "money changer" or "banker." This occupation was crucial in medieval times when currency exchange was a complex and highly regulated profession.

In the 13th century, the name WECHSLER appeared in various records across Germanic regions, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae and the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Hildesheim. These early references suggest that the name was associated with individuals involved in financial dealings and money lending activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WECHSLER name can be found in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. The chronicle mentions a prominent WECHSLER family from the city of Nuremberg, known for their involvement in banking and trade.

During the 16th century, the WECHSLER name gained further recognition with the birth of Johannes Wechsler (1506-1567), a German humanist and scholar who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen. His contributions to the field of education and classical studies earned him recognition throughout Europe.

Another notable figure was Johann Baptist Wechsler (1792-1846), an Austrian composer and violinist who made significant contributions to the development of Viennese classical music. His works were widely performed and celebrated during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the WECHSLER name gained prominence in the field of psychology with the birth of David Wechsler (1896-1981), an American psychologist renowned for developing several widely used intelligence tests, including the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).

The WECHSLER surname can also be traced back to various place names in Germany, such as Wechselburg, a town in Saxony, and Wechselgeld, a village in Bavaria. These locations likely served as sources for the surname's derivation, reflecting the occupational or residential origins of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wechsler

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

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

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

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