2000
#15,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,711
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Weger
A German occupational surname referring to a maker of weighing scales or balances.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,118 Americans carry the last name Weger. That puts it at #15,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weger 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
2.1K
1 in 161,829
Census rank
#15,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,847 bearers of the surname Weger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weger, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weger
The surname Weger has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Weg," which means "way" or "path," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a particular road or path.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Weger can be found in the town of Augsburg, Germany, in the year 1542. A document from that time mentions a certain Hans Weger, who was a respected tradesman in the city.
In the 17th century, the name Weger appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. One notable individual from this period was Johann Weger, a Protestant theologian born in Heidelberg in 1624. He was known for his writings on religious topics and his contributions to the ongoing debates between Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation era.
The 18th century saw the Weger name spread further across Europe. In 1756, a man named Friedrich Weger was born in the town of Büdingen, in what is now the state of Hesse, Germany. He later became a prominent merchant and was involved in the local government.
As the 19th century dawned, the Weger name began to appear in various parts of the United States, likely due to German immigration. One notable American with this surname was Charles Weger, born in 1857 in Pennsylvania. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist, founding the Weger Foundation, which supported educational and charitable causes.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Weger, a German-born artist who lived from 1876 to 1936. He was known for his landscape paintings and illustrations, and his works can be found in several museums across Europe.
In the early 20th century, the name Weger continued to spread globally. Hans Weger, born in 1903 in Austria, was a renowned architect who was instrumental in the development of modern Austrian architecture. His designs can be seen in various buildings and structures throughout Vienna and other parts of the country.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Weger throughout history. While the name may have originated in Germany, it has since been adopted by people from various backgrounds and cultures, each adding their own unique stories and contributions to the rich tapestry of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weger
Among Census respondents with the surname Weger, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Weger 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 Weger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 1,661
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 70
- Two or more races3.6% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weger
Weger 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
#18,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,519
-192 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 2,602 places
2020
#15,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,847
+328 bearers (+21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 2,982 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,676 | 1,711 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,278 | 1,519 | 0.51 | -192 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 2,602 places |
| 2020 | #15,296 | 1,847 | 0.62 | +328 bearers (+21.6%) | Up 2,982 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 Weger 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 | #18,278 | #15,296 | 16.3% |
| Count | 1,519 | 1,847 | 21.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.62 | 21.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weger bearers went from 1,519 to 1,847 (+21.6% change). The surname moved up 2,982 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,278 to #15,296.
FAQ
Weger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,118 living Americans carry the surname Weger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,829 residents.
How common is Weger?
Weger ranks #15,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,847 people with the surname Weger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Weger.
Has Weger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weger went from 1,519 recorded bearers to 1,847. That is an increase of 328 (+21.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,278 to #15,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Weger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weger, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Weger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (1,661 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Weger (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 Weger mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker of weighing scales or balances. 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 Weger (0.62 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 share the surname Weger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.