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

Welp, 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 Welp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Welp in America

Welp is the 31960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Welp surname appeared 722 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Welp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Welp 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 Welp

The surname Welp has its origins in Germany, dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to be a variation of the German word "welp," which means "puppy" or "young dog." The name likely originated as a nickname given to someone perceived as having puppy-like qualities, such as playfulness or loyalty.

The earliest known records of the Welp surname can be found in the region of Westphalia in northwestern Germany. The name appears in various administrative and legal documents from the 15th and 16th centuries, often spelled as "Welpe" or "Welpke."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Welp surname is found in the Duchy of Berg, a historic territory in the Rhineland region of Germany. In 1472, a man named Henrich Welp was mentioned in a land registry document from the town of Solingen.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Welp family appears to have spread across different parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Saxony, Hesse, and Bavaria. Notable individuals with the Welp surname during this period include Johannes Welp (1535-1609), a Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony, and Hans Welp (1567-1632), a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg, Bavaria.

In the 18th century, the Welp name can be found in various records from the Prussian province of Westphalia. One prominent figure was Johann Friedrich Welp (1724-1798), a Protestant minister and author from the town of Iserlohn.

As the centuries passed, members of the Welp family migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. For example, in the 19th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where the name was sometimes spelled as "Welpen." One notable Dutch Welp was Gerrit Jan Welp (1818-1892), a successful businessman and politician who served as a member of the Provincial Council of Friesland.

Throughout its history, the Welp surname has also been associated with various place names and localities, such as the village of Welp in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the town of Welpen in the Netherlands.

While the surname Welp is relatively uncommon today, it has left its mark in various historical records and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of German and European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Welp

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

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

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

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