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

Weese, 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 Weese surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weese in America

Weese is the 7437th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weese surname appeared 4,478 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 Weese.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weese 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 Weese

The surname "Weese" is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "wise," which means "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a meadow or worked as a farmer or shepherd in such an area.

The earliest known recorded instances of the name "Weese" date back to the 16th century. For example, in 1547, a man named Hans Weese was mentioned in a church register from the town of Augsburg, located in Bavaria. Additionally, the name appears in various historical documents and records from other parts of southern Germany during that time period.

One notable individual with the surname "Weese" was Johann Weese, a German composer and organist born in 1673 in the city of Nuremberg. He composed several works for the organ and was renowned for his skills as a performer.

Another person of historical significance was Friedrich Weese, born in 1785 in the town of Bamberg, Bavaria. He was a prominent scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Old Germanic languages and literature.

In the late 18th century, a man named Wilhelm Weese gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in the city of Munich. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic classes of the time.

The name "Weese" can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland and Austria, suggesting that some individuals bearing this surname may have migrated from Germany to these regions in earlier times.

It is worth noting that the spelling of the name has undergone some variations over the centuries, with alternative forms like "Wese," "Weiss," and "Weiß" appearing in different records and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weese

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

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

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

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