2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Werblow
A surname derived from a placename or topographic location related to the German word "werben" meaning to recruit or win over.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Werblow. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Werblow 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Werblow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Werblow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Werblow
The surname WERBLOW is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. Its earliest known spelling variation was "Werblow", derived from the German words "werben" meaning "to recruit" and "lowe" meaning "lion". This suggests that the name may have originated from a family involved in military recruitment or service, possibly with a coat of arms featuring a lion.
The name first appeared in historical records from the region of Brandenburg, Prussia. One of the earliest documented instances was in a land registry from the town of Werblow (now Wierzbłów, Poland) in 1532, listing a landowner named Hans Werblow. This village likely inspired the surname's spelling and pronunciation.
In the 17th century, the WERBLOW name surfaced in church records from the city of Berlin. Notable figures include Johann Werblow (1620-1689), a master blacksmith, and his son, Christoph Werblow (1658-1712), a respected clockmaker and inventor of intricate timepieces.
The 18th century saw the WERBLOW family spread across German-speaking regions of Europe. A prominent member was Friedrich Wilhelm Werblow (1726-1802), a philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Halle. His treatises on ethics and morality were widely studied during the Age of Enlightenment.
As the 19th century dawned, the WERBLOW name appeared in various professions and social circles. August Werblow (1814-1892) was a successful merchant and philanthropist in Hamburg, while Wilhelm Werblow (1842-1911) served as a high-ranking officer in the Prussian Army during the Franco-Prussian War.
The 20th century brought notable figures like Erich Werblow (1905-1976), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Berlin during the post-war reconstruction era. Additionally, Hildegard Werblow (1927-2001) was a celebrated soprano opera singer who performed at prestigious venues across Europe.
While the WERBLOW surname has maintained a presence in Germany and other parts of Central Europe, it has also been carried to other continents through emigration, contributing to its global diversity and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Werblow
Among Census respondents with the surname Werblow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Werblow 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 Werblow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Werblow
Werblow 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+12 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,071 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-24 bearers (-19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,558 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 2,071 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -24 bearers (-19.2%) | Down 20,558 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 Werblow 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 | #134,712 | #155,270 | -15.3% |
| Count | 125 | 101 | -19.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Werblow bearers went from 125 to 101 (-19.2% change). The surname moved down 20,558 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #155,270.
FAQ
Werblow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Werblow?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Werblow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Werblow?
Werblow ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Werblow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Werblow.
Has Werblow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Werblow went from 125 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 24 (-19.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Werblow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Werblow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Werblow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Werblow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Werblow (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 Werblow mean?
A surname derived from a placename or topographic location related to the German word "werben" meaning to recruit or win over. 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 Werblow (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Werblow?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.