2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wenzke
German surname meaning "from Wendisch or Wenden", referring to the Wends/Sorbs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Wenzke. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wenzke 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Wenzke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wenzke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wenzke
The surname WENZKE is believed to have originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "wenzen," which means "to turn" or "to twist." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or a physical characteristic.
In the early days, surnames were often derived from a person's trade, location, or a distinguishing physical feature. The name WENZKE could have been given to someone who worked as a turner, crafting objects on a lathe, or it may have been assigned to an individual with a twisted or crooked posture.
Historical records indicate that the name WENZKE first appeared in the region of Silesia, which is now divided between Poland and Germany. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the town of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) in the 14th century.
During the Middle Ages, the WENZKE name was also present in other parts of Germany, including the regions of Saxony and Brandenburg. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johann WENZKE (born around 1510) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another historical figure with the WENZKE surname was Hans WENZKE (1524-1591), a German goldsmith and artist who was renowned for his intricate metalwork and engraving skills. His creations can still be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
In the 18th century, a German philosopher and writer named Christian WENZKE (1737-1804) gained recognition for his works on ethics and moral philosophy. He is considered an influential figure in the era of German Enlightenment.
Moving into the 19th century, Karl WENZKE (1828-1897) was a notable German architect who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building, which served as the home of the German parliament.
Throughout history, variations of the name WENZKE have been documented, such as Wenzk, Wentzke, and Wentzky, reflecting regional differences in spelling and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wenzke
Among Census respondents with the surname Wenzke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wenzke 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 Wenzke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wenzke
Wenzke appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-9 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,046 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 10,046 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 Wenzke 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 | #136,449 | #146,495 | -7.4% |
| Count | 123 | 114 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wenzke bearers went from 123 to 114 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 10,046 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #146,495.
FAQ
Wenzke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wenzke?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Wenzke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Wenzke?
Wenzke ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Wenzke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Wenzke.
Has Wenzke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wenzke went from 123 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Wenzke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wenzke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Wenzke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wenzke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Hispanic (2.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Wenzke (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 Wenzke mean?
German surname meaning "from Wendisch or Wenden", referring to the Wends/Sorbs. 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 Wenzke (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 share the surname Wenzke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.