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

Wenck, 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 Wenck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wenck in America

Wenck is the 36695th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wenck surname appeared 609 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 Wenck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wenck 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 Wenck

The surname "WENCK" originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic word "winka," which means "corner" or "angle." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a corner or bend in a road or river.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in the German regions of Bavaria and Saxony. In 1284, a document from the town of Mühlhausen mentions a "Hermannus Wenck," indicating the presence of the name in that area during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Wencke," "Wengke," and "Wenke," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those days. The Wenck family was particularly prominent in the city of Leipzig, with several members serving as merchants and guild members.

One notable figure from history bearing the name Wenck was Johann Wenck, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1551 to 1617. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his works on logic and metaphysics.

Another significant individual was Johann Wenck von Wenckstern, a Prussian military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1780 and played a crucial role in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, where he commanded a brigade of Prussian troops.

In the 19th century, the Wenck surname was also found in parts of Silesia, a historical region that now spans parts of Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. One prominent individual from this area was Gustav Wenck, a German writer and poet who lived from 1843 to 1902.

Moving forward in time, Otto Wenck was a German general who served in World War II. Born in 1888, he commanded the 12th Army during the latter stages of the war and was involved in the defense of Berlin in 1945.

Another notable figure with the Wenck surname was Günter Wenck, a German composer and music educator who lived from 1923 to 2012. He was known for his contributions to contemporary classical music and his work in music education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wenck

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

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

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

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