2000
#7,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,274
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Weese
Derived from the Middle High German word "wise," meaning "meadow" or "pasture," referring to someone who lived near such a place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,964 Americans carry the last name Weese. That puts it at #7,423 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weese 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
5.0K
1 in 69,048
Census rank
#7,423
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,329 bearers of the surname Weese in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7423rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weese, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 Additionally, the name appears in various historical documents and records from other parts of southern Germany during that time period.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weese
Among Census respondents with the surname Weese, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Weese 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 Weese surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 3,914
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 169
- Two or more races3.7% · 162
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
- Black or African American0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weese
Weese 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
#7,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,478
+204 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 233 places
2020
#7,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,329
-149 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,204 | 4,274 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,437 | 4,478 | 1.52 | +204 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 233 places |
| 2020 | #7,423 | 4,329 | 1.45 | -149 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 14 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 Weese 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 | #7,437 | #7,423 | 0.2% |
| Count | 4,478 | 4,329 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.45 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weese bearers went from 4,478 to 4,329 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,437 to #7,423.
FAQ
Weese surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weese?
Name Census estimates that about 4,964 living Americans carry the surname Weese. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,048 residents.
How common is Weese?
Weese ranks #7,423 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,329 people with the surname Weese. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,964), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Weese.
Has Weese become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weese went from 4,478 recorded bearers to 4,329. That is a decrease of 149 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,437 to #7,423.
What does the Census say about the background of Weese?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weese, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Weese in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (3,914 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weese appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Weese (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 Weese mean?
Derived from the Middle High German word "wise," meaning "meadow" or "pasture," referring to someone who lived near such a place. 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 Weese (1.45 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 common is the surname Weese?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Weese, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.