2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wesnofske
An East Slavic surname with probable Polish origins, likely denoting geographic origin or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Wesnofske. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wesnofske 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Wesnofske in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wesnofske, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wesnofske
The surname Wesnofske is of Polish origin, derived from the name of a small village in the region of Warmia-Masuria. Its roots can be traced back to the late 16th century, when the area was under the control of the Prussian Duchy. The name is believed to have originated from a combination of the Old Polish words "wes" meaning "village" and "nofski" which referred to a person's place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wesnofske appears in a land registry document from 1612, which lists a family by that name as residents of a hamlet near the town of Olsztyn. Over the next few centuries, the name slowly spread to other parts of Poland, with variations in spelling emerging, such as Wesnofiski and Weznofske.
During the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the name Wesnofske was Jan Wesnofske, a affluent landowner and merchant who lived in the town of Elblag. His business dealings and philanthropic endeavors are mentioned in several contemporary accounts and local historical records.
In the late 19th century, a Wesnofske family from the village of Stare Kiejkuty produced a prominent scholar and linguist, Kazimierz Wesnofske (1845-1912), who studied Slavic languages and dialects. His work on the preservation of regional Polish dialects and folklore is still referenced by modern researchers.
Another noteworthy individual with this surname was Zofia Wesnofske (1903-1988), a renowned artist and painter from Warsaw. Her works, which often depicted scenes of rural Polish life, were displayed in several prestigious exhibitions across Europe during her lifetime.
The name Wesnofske also appears in records from the early 20th century, when many Polish families emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Stefan Wesnofske (1910-1984), who settled in Chicago and became a respected figure in the city's Polish-American community, working tirelessly to preserve cultural traditions and heritage.
Throughout its long history, the surname Wesnofske has maintained its distinctly Polish character, reflecting the rich linguistic and cultural traditions of the region from which it emerged. While relatively uncommon outside of Poland, it remains a proud testament to the enduring legacy of the country's diverse regional identities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wesnofske
Among Census respondents with the surname Wesnofske, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wesnofske 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 Wesnofske surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 110
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wesnofske
Wesnofske 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,512 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 701 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,512 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 701 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 Wesnofske 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 | #147,253 | #147,954 | -0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 112 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wesnofske bearers went from 112 to 112 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 701 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,954.
FAQ
Wesnofske surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wesnofske?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Wesnofske. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Wesnofske?
Wesnofske ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Wesnofske. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Wesnofske.
Has Wesnofske become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wesnofske went from 112 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Wesnofske?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wesnofske, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (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 Wesnofske in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wesnofske appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Black (0.9%), Hispanic (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 Wesnofske (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 Wesnofske mean?
An East Slavic surname with probable Polish origins, likely denoting geographic origin or occupation. 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 Wesnofske (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 are called Wesnofske?
Find out how many people are called Wesnofske on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.