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

Wexler, 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 Wexler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wexler in America

Wexler is the 8676th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wexler surname appeared 3,787 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 Wexler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wexler 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 Wexler

The surname Wexler is of German origin, derived from the town of Wexler (or Wöxler) in Bavaria. The name is believed to have emerged in the 13th century, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to around 1250 CE.

The name is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "wachsler," which means "wax maker" or "chandler." This suggests that the original bearers of the surname were likely involved in the production or trade of wax or candles.

In medieval times, the Wexler family was documented in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia. Some historical records mention individuals with the surname appearing in local tax rolls, guild registries, and church records.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Wexler can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Nürnberg, which mentions a certain "Hans Wexler," a wax chandler by trade.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johann Wexler (1530-1601) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Tübingen in Württemberg.

During the 17th century, the surname spread throughout various parts of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, possibly due to migration and trade.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Wexler (1720-1786), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.

As the Wexler family spread across Europe, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Wexeler, Wexler, Wexeler, and Wexsler.

Another notable figure was Karl Wexler (1818-1899), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Wexler Brewing Company in Philadelphia.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, individuals with the surname Wexler continued to make their mark in various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts, both in Europe and in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wexler

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

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

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

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