2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wegenke
A German surname possibly derived from place names containing the word "weg" meaning "way" or "path."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Wegenke. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wegenke 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Wegenke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegenke, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wegenke
The surname Wegenke is believed to have originated in Germany, likely during the Middle Ages. Its origins can be traced back to the Low German word "wegen," which means "path" or "road." The suffix "-ke" is a common diminutive form used in German surnames, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a small path or road.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wegenke can be found in the Cologne archives, dating back to the 14th century. There are also references to individuals with this surname in various church records from the 15th and 16th centuries in the regions of Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
In the late 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Wegenke (1552-1621) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Lübeck. His family's wealth and influence likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the Wegenke name in the area.
During the 17th century, Johann Wegenke (1623-1701) was a respected scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Rostock. His writings on theology and philosophy were widely read and influential during his time.
In the 18th century, a family by the name of Wegenke settled in the town of Kaltenkirchen, near Hamburg. One of their descendants, Friedrich Wegenke (1778-1842), became a successful businessman and philanthropist, known for his support of local schools and charitable organizations.
Another notable figure was Wilhelmine Wegenke (1825-1898), a German poet and author who gained recognition for her lyrical works and novels. Her literary contributions helped to further establish the Wegenke name in the cultural sphere of the 19th century.
While the surname Wegenke is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals throughout various regions of Germany for several centuries, with some members achieving notable accomplishments in fields such as commerce, academia, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wegenke
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegenke, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Wegenke 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 Wegenke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 98
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wegenke
Wegenke 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,558 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-12 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,874 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 13,558 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 6,874 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 Wegenke 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 | #149,395 | #156,269 | -4.6% |
| Count | 110 | 98 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wegenke bearers went from 110 to 98 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 6,874 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,269.
FAQ
Wegenke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wegenke?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Wegenke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Wegenke?
Wegenke ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Wegenke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wegenke.
Has Wegenke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wegenke went from 110 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Wegenke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegenke, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Wegenke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wegenke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Wegenke (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 Wegenke mean?
A German surname possibly derived from place names containing the word "weg" meaning "way" or "path." 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 Wegenke (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Wegenke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.