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

Wert, 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 Wert surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wert in America

Wert is the 7795th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wert surname appeared 4,248 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wert.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wert 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 Wert

The surname WERT originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "wert," meaning "valuable" or "precious," indicating that the name may have initially referred to a person of high status or wealth.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the WERT surname was Johannes Wert, a German composer who lived from around 1535 to 1596. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the Renaissance era and is renowned for his intricate motets and madrigals.

Another notable figure with the WERT surname was Johann von Wert, a German military commander who lived in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.

In the 17th century, the surname WERT appeared in various records across German-speaking regions, including the baptismal records of Johannes Wert from Nuremberg in 1623 and the marriage record of Anna Maria Wert in Heidelberg in 1679.

The WERT surname also spread to other parts of Europe, with records showing instances of the name in the Netherlands and Switzerland. For example, Jacob Wert, a Dutch merchant born in 1712, is noted for his successful trading ventures in the East Indies.

In the 19th century, the surname WERT gained prominence in the United States, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was John Wert, a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1825 and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg.

Throughout its history, the WERT surname has been subject to various spellings, such as Werte, Werth, and Wirts, reflecting regional variations and linguistic changes over time. However, the core meaning of the name, derived from the concept of value and preciousness, has remained consistent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wert

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

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

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

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