2000
#8,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Weise
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "wise" or "learned," or an occupational name for a singer or poet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,031 Americans carry the last name Weise. That puts it at #8,933 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,030 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weise 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Weise with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,030
Census rank
#8,933
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,515 bearers of the surname Weise in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8933rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weise, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weise
The surname WEISE has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "wis," meaning "wise" or "knowledgeable." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone considered wise or learned.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WEISE is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this period in the region that is now modern-day Germany.
In the 14th century, records from the town of Görlitz in Saxony mention a certain Nickel Weise, indicating the presence of the name in that area at the time. The name also appears in various medieval manuscripts and chronicles, such as the Chronica Principum Saxoniae, written in the 15th century.
One notable figure with the surname WEISE was Andreas Weise (1516-1599), a German humanist scholar and educator. He was born in Zittau, Saxony, and served as the rector of the Zittau Gymnasium for over 30 years, making significant contributions to the education system of his time.
Another distinguished individual with this surname was Christian Weise (1642-1708), a German writer, poet, and playwright. He was born in Zittau and is considered one of the most important figures of the German Baroque literature period. His works include satirical plays, novels, and educational writings.
In the 18th century, Johann Weise (1718-1784) was a German composer and organist from Saxony. He composed numerous works for the church and is particularly known for his organ compositions and chorale preludes.
During the 19th century, Karl Weise (1838-1916) was a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Börse (Stock Exchange) buildings.
The name WEISE has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Weisendorf, Weisenburg, and Weissenstadt, which may have influenced the spelling or pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weise
Among Census respondents with the surname Weise, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Weise 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 Weise surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 3,071
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 158
- Black or African American4.0% · 141
- Two or more races2.8% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weise
Weise 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
#8,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,834
+92 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 435 places
2020
#8,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,515
-319 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 343 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,155 | 3,742 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,590 | 3,834 | 1.30 | +92 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 435 places |
| 2020 | #8,933 | 3,515 | 1.18 | -319 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 343 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 Weise 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 | #8,590 | #8,933 | -4.0% |
| Count | 3,834 | 3,515 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.18 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weise bearers went from 3,834 to 3,515 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 343 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,590 to #8,933.
FAQ
Weise surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weise?
Name Census estimates that about 4,031 living Americans carry the surname Weise. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,030 residents.
How common is Weise?
Weise ranks #8,933 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 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 3,515 people with the surname Weise. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,031), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 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 Weise.
Has Weise become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weise went from 3,834 recorded bearers to 3,515. That is a decrease of 319 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,590 to #8,933.
What does the Census say about the background of Weise?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weise, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (4.0%). 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 Weise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (3,071 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weise appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (4.5%), Black (4.0%). 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 Weise (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 Weise mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "wise" or "learned," or an occupational name for a singer or poet. 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 Weise (1.18 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 Weise?
See how many people have the last name Weise on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.