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

Wetzler, 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 Wetzler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wetzler in America

Wetzler is the 22963rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wetzler surname appeared 1,114 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 Wetzler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wetzler 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 Wetzler

The surname Wetzler is of German origin, derived from the occupation of a wheat dealer or miller. It is believed to have originated in the 14th century from the German word "Wetz," meaning wheat, and "Ler," referring to a person involved in a particular trade or occupation.

Wetzler was a common surname found in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas with a strong wheat-growing tradition. The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1384 in the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Wetzler was mentioned in a local registry.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in several historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, which documented land transactions and legal agreements in Saxony. The Wetzler family was also mentioned in the chronicles of the city of Augsburg, where they were involved in the wheat trade.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Wetzler was Johannes Wetzler, a wheat merchant from Rothenburg ob der Tauber, who lived from 1412 to 1478. Another notable figure was Konrad Wetzler, a miller from Heidelberg, who lived between 1520 and 1587.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Wetzler surname spread across various German states and principalities. In 1612, a man named Heinrich Wetzler was recorded as a landowner in the town of Mainz, suggesting the family's prosperity in the wheat trade.

Throughout history, several individuals with the Wetzler surname have made significant contributions in various fields. One such person was Johann Wetzler, a renowned clockmaker from Nuremberg, who lived from 1678 to 1741 and was renowned for his intricate timepieces.

Another notable Wetzler was Friedrich Wetzler, a German writer and philosopher born in 1776 in Weimar. He was known for his works on ethics and morality, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.

In the 19th century, the name Wetzler was associated with the brewing industry. Gustav Wetzler, born in 1825 in Munich, established one of the first large-scale breweries in Bavaria, which became a well-known brand across Germany.

It is worth mentioning that the Wetzler surname has also been linked to various place names in Germany, such as Wetzlerstadt, a town in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Wetzlerhof, a village in Bavaria, both named after the Wetzler family who had settled in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wetzler

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

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

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

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