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

Wengerd, 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 Wengerd surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wengerd in America

Wengerd is the 10167th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wengerd surname appeared 3,173 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wengerd.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wengerd 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 Wengerd

The surname Wengerd is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in the areas that are now part of Germany and Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.

One possible derivation of the name Wengerd is from the Old German words "wen" and "gard," which together could mean "new settlement" or "new farmstead." This suggests that the surname may have initially been given to someone who established a new homestead or settlement.

Another theory proposes that the name Wengerd is derived from a place name, possibly a town or village with a similar-sounding name, where the family may have originated or resided. Place names were often incorporated into surnames during the Middle Ages as a means of identification and distinguishing individuals from different locations.

While there are no known references to the name Wengerd in historical documents like the Domesday Book, which recorded land ownership in England after the Norman Conquest, some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in German and Swiss records from the 15th and 16th centuries.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Wengerd was Hans Wengerd, a farmer who lived in the village of Oberwangen, Switzerland, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johannes Wengerd, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived in Germany in the 16th century (c. 1500-1570).

In the 17th century, a family by the name of Wengerd settled in the Palatinate region of Germany, where they became influential landowners and farmers. One member of this family, Wilhelm Wengerd (1625-1692), was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate.

As the surname spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Wengert, Wengardt, and Wengerde. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling practices during that time.

Another notable individual with the surname Wengerd was Johann Georg Wengerd (1730-1803), a German composer and organist who was active in the late 18th century. His works included several organ compositions and church cantatas.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname Wengerd emigrated from Germany and Switzerland to North America, where they and their descendants have contributed to various fields, including agriculture, education, and business.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wengerd

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

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

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

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