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

Weist, 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 Weist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weist in America

Weist is the 15223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weist surname appeared 1,934 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 Weist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weist 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 Weist

The surname WEIST originated in Germany during the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "wist," meaning "sustenance" or "nourishment." The name was likely given to those who worked in the food industry or provided provisions.

The earliest recorded instances of the WEIST surname can be found in medieval German records and chronicles from the 1200s. One notable mention is in the Rothenburg ob der Tauber town archives, where a Johann Weist is listed as a baker in 1278.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Weyst, Weyste, and Weysten, in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. These variations likely stemmed from local dialects and scribal errors in transcribing the name.

The WEIST surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Hans Weist (1492-1549) was a German painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. Johann Weist (1608-1674) was a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector Palatine in Heidelberg.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many WEIST families emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Johann Georg Weist (1717-1779) was a German-born American farmer and miller who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1730s and became a prominent landowner in the region.

In the 19th century, Friedrich Weist (1819-1892) was a German educator and author who wrote extensively on pedagogical methods and founded several schools in his native Baden-Württemberg.

Another notable figure was Wilhelm Weist (1867-1945), a German architect who designed numerous buildings in Berlin and other German cities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Berlin Cathedral and the Reichstag building.

While the WEIST surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, where it was likely given to those involved in the food and sustenance trades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weist

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

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 Weist 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 Weist 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 Weist was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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