2000
#9,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,045
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Wehner
Derived from the Middle High German "wagen(er)," an occupational surname for a wagon maker or wagon driver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,830 Americans carry the last name Wehner. That puts it at #9,350 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,492 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wehner 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
3.8K
1 in 89,492
Census rank
#9,350
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,340 bearers of the surname Wehner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9350th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wehner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wehner
The surname Wehner is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, which was once a medieval duchy in present-day eastern Germany. Wehner is derived from the Old High German word "werna," meaning "to defend" or "to protect." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a guard or protector.
The earliest known record of the name Wehner appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, there is a reference to a person named "Wernhero de Rochlitz" from the town of Rochlitz, which is located in the modern-day state of Saxony, Germany.
During the 14th century, the name Wehner was found in various records from the city of Leipzig, which was an important trading center in the region of Saxony. These records include mentions of individuals such as Johann Wehner (born around 1320) and Hans Wehner (born around 1375), both of whom were merchants operating in the city.
In the 15th century, the name Wehner spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions. For example, there are records of a Caspar Wehner (born around 1450) who was a landowner in the region of Silesia, which is now part of Poland.
One notable figure with the surname Wehner was Johann Gottlob Wehner (1715-1790), a German composer and organist who was born in Saxony. He is best known for his compositions for the organ and his contributions to the development of the German Baroque style.
Another important figure was Wilhelm Wehner (1821-1879), a German politician and journalist who played a significant role in the German revolutions of 1848-1849. He was a member of the Frankfurt Parliament and advocated for democratic reforms and the unification of Germany.
The name Wehner has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations throughout Germany. For example, there is a town called Wehner in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, which may have derived its name from the surname itself or vice versa.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Wener, Wenner, and Wähner, have also existed throughout the history of this surname. These variations may have occurred due to regional dialect differences or transcription errors in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wehner
Among Census respondents with the surname Wehner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Wehner 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 Wehner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 3,092
- Two or more races3.0% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 81
- Black or African American1.3% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wehner
Wehner 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
#9,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,446
+401 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 366 places
2020
#9,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,340
-106 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,806 | 3,045 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,440 | 3,446 | 1.17 | +401 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 366 places |
| 2020 | #9,350 | 3,340 | 1.12 | -106 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 90 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 Wehner 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 | #9,440 | #9,350 | 1.0% |
| Count | 3,446 | 3,340 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.12 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wehner bearers went from 3,446 to 3,340 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,440 to #9,350.
FAQ
Wehner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wehner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,830 living Americans carry the surname Wehner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,492 residents.
How common is Wehner?
Wehner ranks #9,350 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,340 people with the surname Wehner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,830), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Wehner.
Has Wehner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wehner went from 3,446 recorded bearers to 3,340. That is a decrease of 106 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,440 to #9,350.
What does the Census say about the background of Wehner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wehner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Wehner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (3,092 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wehner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Wehner (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 Wehner mean?
Derived from the Middle High German "wagen(er)," an occupational surname for a wagon maker or wagon driver. 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 Wehner (1.12 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 common is the surname Wehner?
You can see how many people have the last name Wehner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.