2000
#3,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,224
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Rare Last name
Wegner
An occupational surname for a carter or wagon driver, derived from the German word "Wagen" meaning "wagon" or "cart."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,057 Americans carry the last name Wegner. That puts it at #4,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,844 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wegner 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wegner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.1K
1 in 37,844
Census rank
#4,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,898 bearers of the surname Wegner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wegner
The surname Wegner is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages in central Europe. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Weg," which means "way" or "path," suggesting that the name may have been initially attributed to those who lived near a prominent path or road.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wegner can be found in the 14th century in the town of Wegner, located in present-day Poland. This town, which was once part of the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, likely served as the source of the surname for those who hailed from or lived in the area.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of documents related to the history of Brandenburg, Germany. This suggests that the Wegner family had established a presence in this region during that period.
Notable individuals bearing the Wegner surname include Michael Wegner (1624-1701), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Dresden. Another prominent figure was Johann Wegner (1773-1849), a German architect renowned for his work in the Neoclassical style, including the design of the Schauspielhaus Berlin theater.
In the realm of literature, the name Wegner is associated with the German author and critic Georg Philipp Wegner (1801-1875), who wrote extensively on the works of Goethe and Schiller. Additionally, the 19th century saw the rise of Wilhelm Wegner (1826-1903), a German industrialist and founder of the Wegner & Co. engineering firm, which played a significant role in the development of Germany's manufacturing sector.
Crossing into the 20th century, one notable bearer of the Wegner surname was the renowned German furniture designer and architect Hans Wegner (1914-2007), whose iconic chair designs, such as the Wishbone Chair and the Shell Chair, are celebrated worldwide for their innovative and functional designs.
These examples highlight the rich history and diverse accomplishments associated with the surname Wegner, which has left an indelible mark across various fields, from music and architecture to literature and design, throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wegner
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wegner 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 Wegner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 7,299
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 242
- Two or more races2.7% · 215
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 72
- Black or African American0.5% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wegner
Wegner 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
#4,336
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,192
-32 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 2.78
Rank movement Down 371 places
2020
#4,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,898
-294 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 2.64
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,965 | 8,224 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,336 | 8,192 | 2.78 | -32 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 371 places |
| 2020 | #4,345 | 7,898 | 2.64 | -294 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 9 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 Wegner 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 | #4,336 | #4,345 | -0.2% |
| Count | 8,192 | 7,898 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.78 | 2.64 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wegner bearers went from 8,192 to 7,898 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,336 to #4,345.
FAQ
Wegner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wegner?
Name Census estimates that about 9,057 living Americans carry the surname Wegner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,844 residents.
How common is Wegner?
Wegner ranks #4,345 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,898 people with the surname Wegner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,057), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wegner.
Has Wegner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wegner went from 8,192 recorded bearers to 7,898. That is a decrease of 294 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,336 to #4,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Wegner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Wegner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (7,299 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wegner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Wegner (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 Wegner mean?
An occupational surname for a carter or wagon driver, derived from the German word "Wagen" meaning "wagon" or "cart." 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 Wegner (2.64 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 Wegner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.