2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Weierke
A surname originating from a place name in Germany or the Netherlands, indicating the bearer's geographic origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Weierke. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weierke 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Weierke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weierke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weierke
The surname "WEIERKE" is of German origin, and it is believed to have emerged around the 16th century in the region of Lower Saxony, which is located in northern Germany. The name is derived from the German word "weier," which means "pond" or "small lake," and the diminutive suffix "-ke," which was commonly used to indicate a smaller version of something.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "WEIERKE" dates back to 1587, when it was mentioned in a local church register in the town of Osnabrück, located in Lower Saxony. This entry suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals who lived near a small body of water or owned property adjacent to a pond.
In the 18th century, there are records of a family with the surname "WEIERKE" residing in the town of Celle, also in Lower Saxony. This family was known for their involvement in the local textile industry, and their name may have been derived from the location of their mills near a small lake or pond.
One notable individual with the surname "WEIERKE" was Johann Friedrich Weierke (1773-1847), who was a German theologian and professor at the University of Göttingen. He authored several influential works on theology and religious philosophy during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Karl Weierke (1896-1976), a German politician who served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) during the Weimar Republic era. He was known for his advocacy of social welfare reforms and his opposition to the rise of the Nazi party in the 1930s.
In the 19th century, the surname "WEIERKE" also appears in records from the city of Hamburg, where a family with this name was involved in the maritime trade and shipping industry. This may indicate that the name had spread from its original Lower Saxony region to other parts of northern Germany.
Variations of the spelling of "WEIERKE" have also been documented, such as "Weierke," "Weyerke," and "Weiercke." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and local pronunciation differences within Germany.
Throughout its history, the surname "WEIERKE" has been associated with a diverse range of occupations and professions, from academics and politicians to merchants and artisans. While not a particularly common name, it has left a notable footprint in the historical records of northern Germany and its surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weierke
Among Census respondents with the surname Weierke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Weierke 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 Weierke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weierke
Weierke appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,121 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 Weierke 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 | #143,149 | #144,270 | -0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 117 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weierke bearers went from 116 to 117 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #144,270.
FAQ
Weierke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weierke?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Weierke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Weierke?
Weierke ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Weierke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Weierke.
Has Weierke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weierke went from 116 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Weierke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weierke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Weierke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weierke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (8.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Weierke (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 Weierke mean?
A surname originating from a place name in Germany or the Netherlands, indicating the bearer's geographic origin. 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 Weierke (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 Americans have the surname Weierke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.