2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wendelberger
A German locational surname referring to someone from a place associated with a winding hill or mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Wendelberger. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wendelberger 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Wendelberger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wendelberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wendelberger
The surname Wendelberger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, derived from the combination of the Old German word "wendel," meaning "wanderer," and the suffix "-berger," indicating someone who hailed from a specific location, likely a town or village with a name containing "berg" (mountain or hill).
One of the earliest documented instances of the Wendelberger surname can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Nürnberg, dating back to the late 1500s. These records often served as vital sources of information for genealogical research in the pre-modern era.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Wendelberger name appears to have spread across various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Notable individuals bearing this surname from this period include Johann Wendelberger (1617-1688), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author from Nuremberg, and Hans Wendelberger (1723-1792), a celebrated clockmaker and horologist from Augsburg.
As the 19th century dawned, the Wendelberger surname gained prominence in other parts of Europe as well. One noteworthy figure was Carl Wendelberger (1836-1914), an Austrian artist and painter celebrated for his landscapes and portraiture. His works can be found in several prestigious art galleries across Europe.
In the realm of academia, the Wendelberger name has also left its mark. Heinrich Wendelberger (1870-1944) was a distinguished German physicist and professor at the University of Munich, known for his contributions to the study of electromagnetism and optics.
Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Otto Wendelberger (1897-1964), a German military officer who served in both World Wars and rose to the rank of General in the Wehrmacht during World War II.
While these examples highlight some of the notable individuals who have carried the Wendelberger surname over the centuries, it is important to note that the name's history extends far beyond these few mentions. The Wendelberger family has undoubtedly played a significant role in shaping the cultural and historical tapestry of Germany and other regions where its descendants have settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wendelberger
Among Census respondents with the surname Wendelberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Wendelberger 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 Wendelberger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wendelberger
Wendelberger appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 2,454 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 Wendelberger 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 | #156,044 | #153,590 | 1.6% |
| Count | 104 | 104 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wendelberger bearers went from 104 to 104 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 2,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #153,590.
FAQ
Wendelberger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wendelberger?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Wendelberger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Wendelberger?
Wendelberger ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Wendelberger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wendelberger.
Has Wendelberger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wendelberger went from 104 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Wendelberger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wendelberger, 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 Wendelberger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wendelberger 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 Wendelberger (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 Wendelberger mean?
A German locational surname referring to someone from a place associated with a winding hill or mountain. 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 Wendelberger (0.03 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 share the surname Wendelberger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.