2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wegwerth
An occupational surname originating from the German words "Weg" meaning path and "Wirth" meaning innkeeper or keeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Wegwerth. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wegwerth 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Wegwerth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegwerth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wegwerth
The surname Wegwerth has its origins in the German language, originating in the southern regions of what is now modern-day Germany. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, deriving from the old German words "weg" meaning "way" or "path," and "werth," meaning "worthy" or "valuable." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a highly regarded or important path or road.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wegwerth name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Franconia, dating back to 1236. This document mentions a "Heinricus Wegwerth" who was a landowner in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Variations of the name's spelling during this period include "Wegwert," "Wegwerde," and "Wegwart."
In the 14th century, the Wegwerth name appeared in several records from the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce in the Holy Roman Empire. One notable individual was Johannes Wegwerth, a successful merchant and member of the city council, who lived from approximately 1340 to 1412.
The Wegwerth family continued to be influential in the region throughout the following centuries. In the late 16th century, a man named Hans Wegwerth (1562-1628) was a respected craftsman and woodcarver in the town of Bamberg, known for his intricate designs on church altars and furniture.
Another noteworthy figure was Konrad Wegwerth (1691-1768), a Lutheran theologian and author from the city of Erfurt. He wrote several works on religious doctrine and philosophy, including "Wegweiser zur Wahrheit" (Guide to Truth), published in 1723.
During the 18th century, the Wegwerth name also appeared in various records from the regions of Saxony and Brandenburg. One example is Johann Friedrich Wegwerth (1725-1792), a prominent architect from Dresden who designed several churches and public buildings in the Baroque style.
As the Wegwerth family spread across different parts of Germany and Europe, the name evolved into various spellings and dialectal forms, such as "Wegwart," "Wegwert," and "Wegwirth." However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, reflecting its historical ties to the German language and the significance of paths and roads in the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wegwerth
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegwerth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wegwerth 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 Wegwerth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wegwerth
Wegwerth 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
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,300 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,884 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 2,300 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 5,884 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 Wegwerth 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 | #143,511 | 3.9% |
| Count | 110 | 118 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wegwerth bearers went from 110 to 118 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 5,884 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #143,511.
FAQ
Wegwerth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wegwerth?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Wegwerth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Wegwerth?
Wegwerth ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Wegwerth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Wegwerth.
Has Wegwerth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wegwerth went from 110 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Wegwerth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wegwerth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Wegwerth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wegwerth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (2.5%), Black (0.8%). 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 Wegwerth (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 Wegwerth mean?
An occupational surname originating from the German words "Weg" meaning path and "Wirth" meaning innkeeper or keeper. 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 Wegwerth (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 are called Wegwerth?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Wegwerth, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.