2000
#3,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,395
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.11
Rare Last name
Wentz
Derived from a German personal name composed of the elements "wandu" meaning "Wend" and "heri" meaning "army".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,121 Americans carry the last name Wentz. That puts it at #4,319 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,579 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wentz 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
9.1K
1 in 37,579
Census rank
#4,319
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,954 bearers of the surname Wentz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4319th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wentz
The surname Wentz is of German origin, derived from the medieval occupation of "Wenzel," which referred to a person who produced or sold wreaths and garlands. The name's earliest roots can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.
The name Wentz is believed to have evolved from the Old High German word "wintan," meaning "to wind" or "to twist," reflecting the occupation of wreath-making. It was initially spelled as "Wenzel" or "Wentzel," with various regional variations such as "Wenczel" or "Wentzl."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Bavarian town records of Landshut in 1292, where a certain "Conradus Wenzel" was listed as a resident. In the 14th century, the name is found in the Bürgeraufnahmen (citizen admissions) of the city of Nürnberg, where a "Hanns Wentzel" was recorded in 1378.
The name Wentz has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest documented bearers of the name was Johann Wentz (c. 1450-1517), a German theologian and professor at the University of Ingolstadt. In the 16th century, Hans Wentz (1515-1584) was a renowned artist and engraver from Nuremberg, known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings.
During the 17th century, Johann Michael Wentz (1648-1708) was a prominent German composer and organist, serving at various churches in Saxony. Another notable figure was Johann Georg Wentz (1688-1752), a German botanist and physician who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.
In the 19th century, Carl Friedrich Wentz (1800-1876) was a German landscape painter and etcher, renowned for his depictions of rural scenes and architectural subjects. His contemporary, Johann Friedrich Wentz (1813-1888), was a German-American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Wentz throughout history, showcasing its longstanding presence and varied backgrounds across different fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wentz
Among Census respondents with the surname Wentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wentz 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 Wentz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 7,220
- Two or more races3.3% · 259
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 220
- Black or African American2.0% · 157
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wentz
Wentz 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
#4,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,376
-19 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.84
Rank movement Down 345 places
2020
#4,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,954
-422 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.66
Rank movement Down 88 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,886 | 8,395 | 3.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,231 | 8,376 | 2.84 | -19 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 345 places |
| 2020 | #4,319 | 7,954 | 2.66 | -422 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 88 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 Wentz 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 | #4,231 | #4,319 | -2.1% |
| Count | 8,376 | 7,954 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.84 | 2.66 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wentz bearers went from 8,376 to 7,954 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 88 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,231 to #4,319.
FAQ
Wentz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wentz?
Name Census estimates that about 9,121 living Americans carry the surname Wentz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,579 residents.
How common is Wentz?
Wentz ranks #4,319 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,954 people with the surname Wentz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,121), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wentz.
Has Wentz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wentz went from 8,376 recorded bearers to 7,954. That is a decrease of 422 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,231 to #4,319.
What does the Census say about the background of Wentz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Wentz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (7,220 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wentz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Wentz (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 Wentz mean?
Derived from a German personal name composed of the elements "wandu" meaning "Wend" and "heri" meaning "army". 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 Wentz (2.66 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 surname Wentz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.