2000
#4,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,551
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.43
Rare Last name
Weiler
An occupational surname for a person who lived near or worked at a small village or hamlet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,597 Americans carry the last name Weiler. That puts it at #4,584 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,869 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weiler 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
8.6K
1 in 39,869
Census rank
#4,584
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,497 bearers of the surname Weiler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4584th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weiler
The surname Weiler originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Weiler," which means a small village or hamlet. People who lived in or came from such a small settlement were often given the name Weiler to identify their place of origin.
This name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is believed that the earliest recorded instances of the name Weiler appeared in medieval records and documents, such as land registries and tax rolls.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name Weiler can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Galli, a manuscript from the 9th century that contains records of the Abbey of St. Gallen in Switzerland. This document includes several references to individuals with the surname Weiler, indicating the name's presence in the region during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Weiler appeared in the Stadtbücher (city books) of various German towns, such as Augsburg and Nürnberg. These records provide valuable insights into the lives and occupations of individuals bearing the name Weiler during that era.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Weiler was Hans Weiler, a German poet and writer who lived in the 15th century (c. 1420-1490). His works, including poetry and moral tales, were widely circulated and contributed to the literary culture of the time.
Another notable figure was Johann Weiler (1520-1584), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and contributed to the translation of the Bible into German.
In the 16th century, the name Weiler was also associated with the Weiler family, a prominent noble family in the region of Alsace (now part of France). They held several estates and played an influential role in the local politics and governance of the time.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Johann Georg Weiler (1635-1710), a German composer and organist. He was renowned for his works in the Baroque era and served as the court composer to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
In the 19th century, Carl Weiler (1815-1889) was a German-American architect and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early skyscrapers in Chicago. His work helped shape the architectural landscape of the city during its rapid growth in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weiler
Among Census respondents with the surname Weiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Weiler 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 Weiler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 6,951
- Two or more races2.8% · 212
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 211
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 75
- Black or African American0.4% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weiler
Weiler 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
#3,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,160
+3,609 bearers (+55.1%)
Per 100,000 3.44
Rank movement Up 1,413 places
2020
#4,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,497
-2,663 bearers (-26.2%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Down 1,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,928 | 6,551 | 2.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,515 | 10,160 | 3.44 | +3,609 bearers (+55.1%) | Up 1,413 places |
| 2020 | #4,584 | 7,497 | 2.51 | -2,663 bearers (-26.2%) | Down 1,069 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 Weiler 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 | #3,515 | #4,584 | -30.4% |
| Count | 10,160 | 7,497 | -26.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.44 | 2.51 | -27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weiler bearers went from 10,160 to 7,497 (-26.2% change). The surname moved down 1,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,515 to #4,584.
FAQ
Weiler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weiler?
Name Census estimates that about 8,597 living Americans carry the surname Weiler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,869 residents.
How common is Weiler?
Weiler ranks #4,584 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.51 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 7,497 people with the surname Weiler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,597), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.51 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 Weiler.
Has Weiler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weiler went from 10,160 recorded bearers to 7,497. That is a decrease of 2,663 (-26.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,515 to #4,584.
What does the Census say about the background of Weiler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Weiler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (6,951 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weiler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Weiler (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 Weiler mean?
An occupational surname for a person who lived near or worked at a small village or hamlet. 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 Weiler (2.51 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 Weiler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.