2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wegenka
A Polish surname derived from the word "wagon," potentially indicating an ancestor's occupation related to wagon making or transport.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Wegenka. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wegenka 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Wegenka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegenka, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wegenka
The surname WEGENKA is of Polish origin, believed to have emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is likely derived from the Polish word "węgienek," which means "a small piece of coal" or "a small lump of coal." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked in coal mining, coal trade, or related occupations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WEGENKA surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Wielkopolska, located in the western part of modern-day Poland. These records date back to the late 1600s and contain several entries of families bearing the WEGENKA name.
In the 18th century, the WEGENKA surname appeared in various historical documents from the Silesian region, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. This suggests that the name may have spread from its initial origins in western Poland to neighboring areas.
One notable individual with the WEGENKA surname was Józef Wegenka (1790-1865), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Warsaw. He was known for his contributions to the field of moral theology and his writings on the ethical principles of the Catholic Church.
Another prominent figure was Franciszek Wegenka (1820-1892), a Polish engineer and inventor who is credited with developing one of the earliest designs for a modern steam locomotive. His innovations played a significant role in the advancement of steam-powered transportation in the 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the WEGENKA surname appeared in records from the city of Kraków, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One individual of note was Maria Wegenka (1856-1932), a renowned Polish painter and art educator who helped establish several art schools and contributed to the growth of the arts in Kraków.
The WEGENKA surname can also be found in historical records from the region of Upper Silesia, which was divided between Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century. One notable figure from this area was Jan Wegenka (1875-1947), a Polish politician and activist who advocated for the rights of the Silesian people and played a role in the Silesian Uprisings against German rule.
While the WEGENKA surname may have originated from a specific occupation or association with coal, it has since spread across various regions of Poland and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields, including religion, engineering, arts, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wegenka
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegenka, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wegenka 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 Wegenka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wegenka
Wegenka 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-10 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,616 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 20,616 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 5,443 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 Wegenka 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 | #158,432 | #152,989 | 3.4% |
| Count | 102 | 105 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wegenka bearers went from 102 to 105 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 5,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,989.
FAQ
Wegenka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wegenka?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Wegenka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Wegenka?
Wegenka ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Wegenka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Wegenka.
Has Wegenka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wegenka went from 102 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Wegenka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegenka, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Wegenka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wegenka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Wegenka (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 Wegenka mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "wagon," potentially indicating an ancestor's occupation related to wagon making or transport. 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 Wegenka (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 many people have the surname Wegenka?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.