2000
#10,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,949
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Whisler
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold whistles or who was a whistleblower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,301 Americans carry the last name Whisler. That puts it at #10,614 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,833 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whisler 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
3.3K
1 in 103,833
Census rank
#10,614
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,879 bearers of the surname Whisler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10614th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whisler
The surname Whisler originated in Germany, with records showing its presence as early as the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "wispel," which referred to a unit of measurement for dry goods. This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or trade involving the measurement or handling of grains or other dry goods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 15th-century manuscript "Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus," which mentions a certain "Hans Wispeler" from the town of Zerbst in Saxony-Anhalt. This document, dated 1437, provides evidence of the name's usage during that period and its association with the region.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing variations such as "Wispeler," "Wispel," and "Whispler." One notable individual from this era was Johann Whispler (1508-1573), a German Protestant reformer and theologian from Saxony.
As the name traveled across Europe, it underwent further modifications, eventually evolving into the spelling "Whisler." In the 17th century, a family bearing this surname can be traced to the town of Rheinfelden in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. One member of this family, Hans Whisler (1620-1689), is recorded as a respected landowner and farmer in the region.
During the 18th century, the name Whisler started to appear in various parts of Europe, including Switzerland and France. In Switzerland, records show a Johann Whisler (1732-1804) who was a prominent clockmaker and watchmaker in the city of Geneva.
As migration patterns shifted, the name eventually made its way to other parts of the world, including North America. One of the earliest known Whislers in America was Jacob Whisler (1745-1822), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century.
Another notable individual with this surname was Frederick Whisler (1818-1892), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, who was born in Pennsylvania and later served as a colonel in the 82nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment.
Throughout history, the surname Whisler has been associated with various professions, including farming, craftsmen, and military service. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has spread across continents, adapting to different cultures and languages along the way.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whisler
Among Census respondents with the surname Whisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Whisler 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 Whisler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 2,597
- Two or more races3.9% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 21
- Black or African American0.6% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whisler
Whisler 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
#10,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,105
+156 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 299 places
2020
#10,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,879
-226 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 237 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,078 | 2,949 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,377 | 3,105 | 1.05 | +156 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 299 places |
| 2020 | #10,614 | 2,879 | 0.96 | -226 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 237 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 Whisler 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 | #10,377 | #10,614 | -2.3% |
| Count | 3,105 | 2,879 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.96 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whisler bearers went from 3,105 to 2,879 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 237 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,377 to #10,614.
FAQ
Whisler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whisler?
Name Census estimates that about 3,301 living Americans carry the surname Whisler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,833 residents.
How common is Whisler?
Whisler ranks #10,614 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,879 people with the surname Whisler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,301), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Whisler.
Has Whisler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whisler went from 3,105 recorded bearers to 2,879. That is a decrease of 226 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,377 to #10,614.
What does the Census say about the background of Whisler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Whisler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (2,597 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whisler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Whisler (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 Whisler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold whistles or who was a whistleblower. 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 Whisler (0.96 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 Whisler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.