2000
#39,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 530
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Wernette
A derived surname from the German personal name Werner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 588 Americans carry the last name Wernette. That puts it at #44,979 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 582,916 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wernette 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
588
1 in 582,916
Census rank
#44,979
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
513
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 513 bearers of the surname Wernette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44979th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wernette, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wernette
The surname WERNETTE has its roots in the German language and is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Wern," which means "alder tree" or "alder bushes," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked with alder trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WERNETTE can be traced back to the 15th century, when it appeared in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. These records mention a certain Hans Wernette, who lived in the town during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name WERNETTE was also found in the records of the city of Augsburg, another prominent city in Bavaria. These records mention a family by the name of Wernette who were involved in the local textile trade.
The name WERNETTE has also been linked to various place names in Germany, such as Wernau and Werneck, both of which are towns located in the state of Bavaria. It is possible that the name may have originated from one of these places or that people adopted the name after moving to these areas.
One notable individual with the surname WERNETTE was Johann Wilhelm Wernette (1650-1718), a German theologian and writer who was born in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. He authored several religious works and served as a pastor in various churches throughout his lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Wernette (1785-1868), a German lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutions of 1848-1849. He was a staunch advocate for democratic reforms and played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of Germany during that turbulent period.
In the 19th century, the name WERNETTE also appeared in the records of the city of Stuttgart, where a family by that name was involved in the local brewing industry. One member of this family, Karl Wernette (1820-1892), became a successful businessman and philanthropist, contributing to various charitable causes in the city.
Another noteworthy individual was Claus Wernette (1890-1972), a German architect who was known for his innovative designs and his contributions to modernist architecture. He designed several notable buildings in Germany, including the famous Wernette House in Stuttgart, which is considered a landmark of modern architecture.
Otto Wernette (1914-1998) was a German-American engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early computer systems. He worked for companies like IBM and Remington Rand, and his innovations helped advance the field of computer technology in the mid-20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wernette
Among Census respondents with the surname Wernette, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wernette 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 Wernette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 465
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 27
- Two or more races3.3% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wernette
Wernette 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
#40,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 532
+2 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 1,865 places
2020
#44,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 513
-19 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 4,003 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,111 | 530 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,976 | 532 | 0.18 | +2 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 1,865 places |
| 2020 | #44,979 | 513 | 0.17 | -19 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 4,003 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 Wernette 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 | #40,976 | #44,979 | -9.8% |
| Count | 532 | 513 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.17 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wernette bearers went from 532 to 513 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 4,003 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,976 to #44,979.
FAQ
Wernette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wernette?
Name Census estimates that about 588 living Americans carry the surname Wernette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 582,916 residents.
How common is Wernette?
Wernette ranks #44,979 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 513 people with the surname Wernette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (588), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Wernette.
Has Wernette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wernette went from 532 recorded bearers to 513. That is a decrease of 19 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #40,976 to #44,979.
What does the Census say about the background of Wernette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wernette, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Wernette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (465 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wernette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Wernette (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 Wernette mean?
A derived surname from the German personal name Werner. 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 Wernette (0.17 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 Wernette?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.