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

Wernli, 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 Wernli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wernli in America

Wernli is the 48995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wernli surname appeared 430 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 Wernli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wernli 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 Wernli

The surname Wernli is of Swiss German origin, originating from the region of Switzerland in the late Middle Ages. The name is believed to derive from the German word "Wernher," which means "guard" or "protector." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been involved in military or guard duties.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Wernli can be traced back to the 14th century in various Swiss German-speaking regions, with variations in spelling such as Wernly, Warnli, and Wärnli. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and linguistic shifts over time.

One of the earliest documented mentions of the name Wernli is found in the records of the city of Zurich, where a certain Hans Wernli was listed as a citizen in the year 1389. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the name Wernli appears in the historical records of the city of Bern, where a notable figure named Peter Wernli (1525-1592) served as a prominent Reformed theologian and pastor. His contributions to the Reformation movement in Switzerland earned him recognition and influence during his lifetime.

Another notable bearer of the name Wernli was Johann Rudolf Wernli (1719-1786), a Swiss mathematician and astronomer from the city of Basel. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy, and his works were widely respected in academic circles of the time.

In the 19th century, a prominent Swiss painter named Johann Jakob Wernli (1822-1889) gained recognition for his landscape paintings depicting the beautiful scenery of his native Switzerland. His works are still celebrated today and can be found in various art galleries and museums.

The name Wernli has also been associated with notable figures in the field of Swiss literature, such as the writer and poet Emil Wernli (1877-1957), whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the Swiss countryside.

Throughout its history, the surname Wernli has been predominantly found in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, with some instances of migration to other parts of Europe and beyond. However, its roots remain firmly planted in the Swiss German cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wernli

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

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

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

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