2000
#9,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Weyer
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "wiger," meaning a maker of scales or balances.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,214 Americans carry the last name Weyer. That puts it at #10,856 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,644 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weyer 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
3.2K
1 in 106,644
Census rank
#10,856
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,803 bearers of the surname Weyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10856th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weyer
The surname WEYER originated from the German language, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century in regions of present-day Germany. It is derived from the Middle High German word "wier," which means "meadow" or "pasture," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow.
One of the earliest documented references to the name WEYER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, where it is recorded as "Weyer" in the year 1270.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records from the Rhineland region of Germany, often spelled as "Weyer" or "Weyher." This region was known for its fertile meadows and pastures, which further reinforces the connection between the name and its meaning.
One notable bearer of the WEYER surname was Johann Weyer, a Dutch physician and occult writer who lived from 1515 to 1588. He gained recognition for his work "De Praestigiis Daemonum," which challenged the prevailing beliefs about witchcraft and the persecution of alleged witches.
Another historical figure with the WEYER surname was Sylvius Weyer, a German-born mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1666 to 1723. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and published several works on mathematics and astronomy.
In the 18th century, the name WEYER can be found in records from the Palatinate region of Germany, where it was sometimes associated with place names like Weyerbach or Weyerhof, which further solidified the connection between the name and its meaning related to meadows or pastures.
One notable bearer of the WEYER surname from this period was Johann Weyer, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1744 to 1826. He was known for his work on ethics and moral philosophy, and his writings influenced the development of German idealism.
In the 19th century, the name WEYER spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with bearers of the name emigrating to various countries, including the United States and Canada. One prominent figure with this surname was William A. Weyer, an American politician who served as the 25th Governor of Nebraska from 1939 to 1941.
While the WEYER surname has evolved over time and across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the German language and its association with meadows and pastures, reflecting the occupations and lifestyles of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Weyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Weyer 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 Weyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,592
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 106
- Two or more races2.7% · 76
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weyer
Weyer 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
#10,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,004
-113 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 1,079 places
2020
#10,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,803
-201 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,570 | 3,117 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,649 | 3,004 | 1.02 | -113 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 1,079 places |
| 2020 | #10,856 | 2,803 | 0.94 | -201 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 207 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 Weyer 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 | #10,649 | #10,856 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,004 | 2,803 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.94 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weyer bearers went from 3,004 to 2,803 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 207 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,649 to #10,856.
FAQ
Weyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weyer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,214 living Americans carry the surname Weyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,644 residents.
How common is Weyer?
Weyer ranks #10,856 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,803 people with the surname Weyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Weyer.
Has Weyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weyer went from 3,004 recorded bearers to 2,803. That is a decrease of 201 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,649 to #10,856.
What does the Census say about the background of Weyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Weyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,592 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Weyer (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 Weyer mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "wiger," meaning a maker of scales or balances. 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 Weyer (0.94 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 share the surname Weyer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.