2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wemette
Of possible French origin meaning someone who lived near a stone shelter or lookout tower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Wemette. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wemette 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Wemette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wemette, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wemette
The surname Wemette originated in France and Belgium during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic words "wem" meaning "to dwell" and "mette" meaning "meadow," suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived near or in a meadow.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Wemette can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Trond, a 12th-century manuscript from the Abbey of Saint-Trond in present-day Belgium. This document contains references to individuals with the surname Wemette, indicating that the name was already established in the region by that time.
In the 13th century, the name Wemette appears in various records from the Low Countries, including the Chartes de l'abbaye de Saint-Hubert in Luxembourg and the Cartulaire de la seigneurie de Chièvres in Hainaut, Belgium. These records showcase the presence of families bearing the Wemette surname in these areas during that period.
One notable individual from history with the surname Wemette was Jean Wemette, a merchant and alderman from the city of Liège, Belgium, who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several municipal records from that time, showcasing the prominence of the Wemette family in the region.
Another prominent figure was Pierre Wemette, a 16th-century lawyer and judge from Namur, Belgium. He served as a magistrate in the city and is noted for his contributions to local jurisprudence.
In the 17th century, the Wemette surname appears in records from the nearby region of Picardy, France. One notable individual from this era was Jacques Wemette, a renowned clockmaker from Amiens who lived from 1620 to 1687. His work is still celebrated for its craftsmanship and innovation in the field of horology.
The name Wemette can also be found in various place names throughout the Low Countries and northern France, such as the hamlet of Wemette-la-Petite in the Ardennes region of Belgium, and the village of Wemette-la-Grande in the department of Somme, France. These place names likely originated from the presence of Wemette families in those areas.
Another individual worth mentioning is Gilles Wemette, a 17th-century Flemish painter from Antwerp, known for his still life and genre paintings. His works can be found in several notable collections, including the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wemette
Among Census respondents with the surname Wemette, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Wemette 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 Wemette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 119
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wemette
Wemette 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,296 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,296 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 12,178 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 Wemette 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 | #130,610 | #142,788 | -9.3% |
| Count | 130 | 119 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wemette bearers went from 130 to 119 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 12,178 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #142,788.
FAQ
Wemette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wemette?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Wemette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Wemette?
Wemette ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Wemette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Wemette.
Has Wemette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wemette went from 130 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Wemette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wemette, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Wemette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wemette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Wemette (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 Wemette mean?
Of possible French origin meaning someone who lived near a stone shelter or lookout tower. 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 Wemette (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 people have the last name Wemette?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Wemette on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.