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

Wensel, 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 Wensel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wensel in America

Wensel is the 22334th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wensel surname appeared 1,154 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 Wensel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wensel 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 Wensel

The surname Wensel originates from Germany and dates back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Germanic personal name Wendel, which itself comes from the Old High German word "wendan," meaning "to turn" or "to wend." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who traveled frequently or changed directions often.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wensel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the state of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Wendel, Wendelin, and Wenzelinus.

During the 13th century, the name Wensel was particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia, where it was often associated with place names like Wenzelsheim and Wenzelshausen. This indicates that the name may have been used to identify people from specific locations.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Wensel was Johannes Wensel, a German scholar and rector of the University of Erfurt. He lived from approximately 1350 to 1420 and was known for his contributions to the field of theology.

Another historical figure was Hans Wensel, a 16th-century German artist who specialized in woodcuts and engravings. He was born around 1480 and was active in the city of Nuremberg, where he produced numerous works of art depicting religious and mythological scenes.

In the 17th century, the name Wensel appeared in various records across Germany, including the birth and baptismal records of Johann Wensel (1620-1688), a Lutheran pastor from Saxony who served in the town of Schkeuditz.

Moving into the 18th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Johann Georg Wensel (1718-1790), a German philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of optics and the study of light.

Finally, in the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Wensel was Carl Friedrich Wensel (1811-1879), a German composer and music educator who served as the director of the Leipzig Conservatory of Music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wensel

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

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

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

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