2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wendelboe
A Norwegian surname derived from a farmstead name meaning "winding hill farm".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Wendelboe. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wendelboe 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Wendelboe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wendelboe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wendelboe
The surname Wendelboe has its origins in Denmark, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Danish words "vendel" meaning "to turn" or "to wander," and "bo" meaning "to live" or "to dwell." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a wanderer or traveler who settled in a particular location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Danish Census of 1645, where a farmer named Peder Wendelboe is listed as residing in the village of Svendborg. This suggests that the name may have originated in the area around Svendborg, which is located on the island of Funen.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various church records and local registries across Denmark, with several individuals bearing the name Wendelboe. One notable example is Hans Wendelboe (1711-1789), a Danish merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the development of the Danish East India Company.
During the 19th century, the name Wendelboe gained more prominence, with several individuals making significant contributions to various fields. One such individual was Jens Wendelboe (1820-1897), a Danish politician and jurist who served as a member of the Danish Parliament and played a key role in the reform of the Danish judicial system.
Another notable figure was Vilhelm Wendelboe (1859-1934), a Danish architect who designed several notable buildings in Copenhagen, including the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and the Danish National Bank. His works were heavily influenced by the Historicist and Art Nouveau styles popular during that period.
In the early 20th century, the name Wendelboe continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Einar Wendelboe (1878-1943), a Danish journalist and author who wrote extensively on topics related to the Danish labor movement and social democracy.
While the surname Wendelboe is not as common as some other Danish surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions to various aspects of Danish society and culture over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wendelboe
Among Census respondents with the surname Wendelboe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wendelboe 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 Wendelboe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wendelboe
Wendelboe 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 648 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 648 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,371 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 Wendelboe 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 | #141,140 | #143,511 | -1.7% |
| Count | 118 | 118 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wendelboe bearers went from 118 to 118 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #143,511.
FAQ
Wendelboe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wendelboe?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Wendelboe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Wendelboe?
Wendelboe ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Wendelboe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Wendelboe.
Has Wendelboe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wendelboe went from 118 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Wendelboe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wendelboe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Wendelboe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wendelboe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Wendelboe (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 Wendelboe mean?
A Norwegian surname derived from a farmstead name meaning "winding hill farm". 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 Wendelboe (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 Wendelboe?
Find out how many people have the surname Wendelboe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.