2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Weesies
A surname originating from the Dutch word "wees", meaning orphan or foundling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Weesies. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weesies 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Weesies in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weesies, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weesies
The surname WEESIES has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Dutch word "wees," which means "orphan" or "foundling." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were orphaned or raised in an orphanage.
In the early 1500s, records show the name WEESIES appearing in the city of Amsterdam, where it was likely first used as a descriptor or surname for individuals associated with orphanages or foundling homes. The earliest known record of the name is found in the Amsterdam City Archives, dated 1523, where a certain Johannes WEESIES is mentioned as a resident of the city.
As the name spread throughout the Netherlands, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as WEESIS, WEESJES, and WEESIES. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the influence of local languages.
In the 17th century, the name WEESIES gained some prominence when a Dutch merchant named Pieter WEESIES (1632-1698) established a successful trading company in Amsterdam, dealing in spices and textiles from the East Indies. His son, Willem WEESIES (1668-1742), continued the family business and became a respected figure in the city's mercantile community.
Another notable individual with the surname WEESIES was Jan WEESIES (1795-1871), a Dutch painter and etcher known for his landscapes and city scenes. His works can be found in several museums across the Netherlands, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
In the 19th century, the name WEESIES appeared in several historical records and documents, such as the 1849 census of the city of Rotterdam, where a family by the name of WEESIES was listed as residents.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WEESIES in the United States can be traced back to the late 18th century, when a Dutch immigrant named Dirk WEESIES (1756-1822) settled in New York City. His descendants went on to become prominent members of the local Dutch community.
Throughout the centuries, the surname WEESIES has been associated with various place names and locations in the Netherlands, such as the town of Weesies in the province of Friesland, and the Weesiesstraat (WEESIES Street) in the city of Utrecht. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its potential origins related to orphanages or foundling homes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weesies
Among Census respondents with the surname Weesies, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Weesies 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 Weesies surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 111
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.3% · 4
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weesies
Weesies 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+22 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,148 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,662 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +22 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 12,148 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,662 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 Weesies 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 | #133,863 | #140,525 | -5.0% |
| Count | 126 | 122 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weesies bearers went from 126 to 122 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,662 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #140,525.
FAQ
Weesies surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weesies?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Weesies. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Weesies?
Weesies ranks #140,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 122 people with the surname Weesies. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Weesies.
Has Weesies become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weesies went from 126 recorded bearers to 122. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Weesies?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weesies, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Weesies in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weesies appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Weesies (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 Weesies mean?
A surname originating from the Dutch word "wees", meaning orphan or foundling. 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 Weesies (0.04 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 Weesies?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Weesies on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.