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

Wenk, 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 Wenk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wenk in America

Wenk is the 23817th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wenk surname appeared 1,061 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 Wenk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wenk 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 Wenk

The surname WENK has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages around the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "wenc," which meant "to sway" or "to turn," possibly referring to a person's gait or occupation. The earliest records of the WENK name can be traced back to various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland.

One of the earliest known references to the WENK surname appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg dating back to the 13th century. This record mentions a certain "Henricus Wenk" in relation to a land transaction in the year 1285.

In the 14th century, the WENK name can be found in various town and village records across Germany. For instance, a "Johannes Wenk" is mentioned in the town chronicles of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1357, while a "Konrad Wenk" appears in the records of Eberbach Abbey in 1382.

As the name spread throughout Germany, variations in spelling also emerged, such as Wencke, Wenck, and Wennk. Some notable historical figures bearing the WENK surname include Johann Wenk (c. 1550-1615), a German composer and organist during the Renaissance period, and Johann Adam Wenk (1671-1734), a German theologian and author.

The WENK surname eventually made its way beyond the borders of Germany, carried by immigrants and settlers to other parts of Europe and the New World. One notable example is Johann Georg Wenk (1715-1776), a German-born colonial administrator who served as the 13th Governor of the British Province of Pennsylvania.

Another prominent individual with the WENK surname was Friedrich August Wenk (1784-1838), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected military historian and author. His works, such as "Die Feldzüge der Preußischen Armee gegen die Französische Revolution" (The Campaigns of the Prussian Army against the French Revolution), are considered important historical sources on the era.

While the WENK surname may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by generations of immigrants and descendants. Despite its geographical dispersion, the name continues to bear the traces of its German roots and the rich history that accompanies it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wenk

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

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

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

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