Find out how popular the last name Wehr is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wehr.

Wehr, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wehr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wehr in America

Wehr is the 11440th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wehr surname appeared 2,753 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wehr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wehr to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wehr

The surname Wehr traces its origins to Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Old German word "wer," meaning "defense" or "protection." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a defensive fortification or worked as a guard or soldier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wehr surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dated around the 12th century. This indicates that the name was already in use by that time.

During the 13th century, the name Wehr appeared in various records and manuscripts from the Rhineland region of Germany. For example, a certain Henricus Wehr was mentioned in a deed from the city of Cologne in 1235.

The surname Wehr is also related to several place names in Germany, such as Wehr in Baden-Württemberg and Wehr an der Mosel in Rhineland-Palatinate. These locations may have influenced the spread and variations of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Wehr throughout history include:

1. Johann Wehr (1585-1644), a German Lutheran theologian and author.
2. Christian Wehr (1696-1764), a German architect who worked on several churches and palaces in Saxony.
3. Georg Wehr (1758-1835), a German writer and philosopher known for his works on aesthetics and ethics.
4. Wilhelm Wehr (1826-1888), a German politician and member of the Reichstag (Imperial Parliament) in the late 19th century.
5. Hans Wehr (1909-1981), a German-American scholar and author of the famous Arabic-English dictionary, "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic."

The name Wehr has been well-documented throughout German history, reflecting its longstanding presence in various regions of the country. While its exact origins may be debated, the surname's connection to concepts of defense and protection offers a glimpse into the lives and occupations of its early bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wehr

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wehr.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wehr was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wehr has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wehr was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wehr, please contact us.

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