2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Whennen
A locational surname derived from a place name, likely a town or village in the Netherlands or Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Whennen. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whennen 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Whennen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whennen, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whennen
The surname Whennen has its origins primarily in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a variant of the surname Whenham or Wenhamm, which itself originates from a place name in Sussex or Suffolk. These places are linked to Old English elements, with "hwaenna" meaning "white" or "pale" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village," suggesting a location characterized by pale or white features in the geography.
The earliest recordings of the surname appear in medieval documents. One of the earliest mentions can be traced to the Assize Rolls of Suffolk in 1267, where a Richard de Wenhame is listed. This supports the idea that the name is derived from a geographic location, as surnames often were in that era.
During the 14th century, variations of the name began appearing more frequently. In the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, a Henry de Whenham is recorded. This may indicate that the Whennen name is an evolution of older spellings as regional dialects and pronunciations changed over time.
The 15th century saw the name Whennen becoming more standardized in spelling. Thomas Whennen, born around 1470, appears in parish records from Kent, indicating that the name had spread beyond its initial geographic confines. His descendants continued to use this spelling, cementing it in historical records.
By the 17th century, the name had also appeared in records of notable individuals. John Whennen, an Anglican clergyman born in 1623 and known for his sermons and theological contributions, is referenced in ecclesiastical histories of England. His works are still studied by scholars interested in religious history of that period.
In the 18th century, another notable bearer was William Whennen, born in 1755, who served as a local magistrate in Surrey. He was known for his progressive views on justice and his efforts to reform local jails, becoming a respected figure in his community.
The surname Whennen remained relatively rare, but its bearers often left a distinguished mark. Air Vice-Marshal Charles Whennen, born in 1891, served with distinction in the Royal Air Force during both World Wars, contributing significantly to military aviation advancements.
The history of the surname Whennen illustrates a journey from a specific geographic descriptor to a family name carried by notable figures across centuries, reflecting changes in language, occupation, and societal contributions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whennen
Among Census respondents with the surname Whennen, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Whennen 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 Whennen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 8
- Two or more races5.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whennen
Whennen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-9 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,473 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 4,473 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 Whennen 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 | #151,532 | #156,005 | -3.0% |
| Count | 108 | 99 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whennen bearers went from 108 to 99 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 4,473 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #156,005.
FAQ
Whennen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whennen?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Whennen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Whennen?
Whennen ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Whennen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Whennen.
Has Whennen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whennen went from 108 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Whennen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whennen, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Whennen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whennen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (8.1%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Whennen (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 Whennen mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, likely a town or village in the Netherlands or Germany. 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 Whennen (0.03 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 have the last name Whennen?
If you just want to know how many people are called Whennen, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.