2000
#37,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Wiard
A habitational surname derived from a place name of Germanic origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 583 Americans carry the last name Wiard. That puts it at #45,381 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 587,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiard 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
583
1 in 587,915
Census rank
#45,381
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
508
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 508 bearers of the surname Wiard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45381st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiard
The surname Wiard has its roots in medieval Germany, particularly emanating from the regions of Saxony and Lower Saxony. Originating during the Middle Ages, the name is believed to derive from an ancient Germanic personal name, Wighard or Wigard. These names are composed of the elements "wig," meaning battle or war, and "hard," meaning strong or hardy. This suggests that the original bearers of the name were likely known for their strength and prowess in battle.
Variations and similar spellings of Wiard can be found in early medieval manuscripts and records, illustrating the fluidity of language and spelling in that era. For instance, in some documents, the name appears as Wychard or Wichard. These variations underscore the evolving orthographic conventions of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wiard surname dates back to the 13th century. The chronicles of the Duchy of Saxony reference a knight named Wighard von Saxony, who lived in the 1230s. His valor and contributions in local conflicts were noted in various local histories. Another early mention appears in records from the Hanseatic League towns, where a merchant named Johann Wiard was active in trade during the late 14th century.
Moving into the 15th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Heinrich Wiard, a respected artisan from Lüneburg. Born in 1410, Heinrich was renowned for his metalwork, which was sought after by nobility across the German states. His work is still appreciated in local museums that house medieval artifacts.
By the 16th century, the name had spread to other parts of Europe, including the Low Countries. One prominent figure was Pieter Wiard, a Flemish cartographer born in 1565. Pieter contributed significantly to the cartographic understanding of the region, and several of his maps are preserved in Dutch archives.
Another noteworthy individual was Jürgen Wiard, a scholar and theologian born in 1620 in Hamburg. His theological writings were influential during the Protestant Reformation and are still studied in theological seminaries today.
In the 18th century, the name appears in American colonial records. Willem Wiard, born in 1730 in Friesland, emigrated to New Amsterdam (modern-day New York) in 1755. Establishing himself as a prominent landowner and community leader, Willem's legacy continues through descendants in the United States.
The fascinating history of the Wiard surname reflects a journey through medieval Europe, traversing through battles, trades, and intellectual pursuits, leaving an enduring legacy in historical records and the collective memory of regions from Germany to the New World.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiard
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiard 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 Wiard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 469
- Two or more races3.5% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiard
Wiard 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
#40,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 544
-9 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 2,473 places
2020
#45,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 508
-36 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 5,120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,788 | 553 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,261 | 544 | 0.18 | -9 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 2,473 places |
| 2020 | #45,381 | 508 | 0.17 | -36 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 5,120 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 Wiard 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 | #40,261 | #45,381 | -12.7% |
| Count | 544 | 508 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.17 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiard bearers went from 544 to 508 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 5,120 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,261 to #45,381.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wiard
FAQ
Wiard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiard?
Name Census estimates that about 583 living Americans carry the surname Wiard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 587,915 residents.
How common is Wiard?
Wiard ranks #45,381 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 508 people with the surname Wiard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (583), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Wiard.
Has Wiard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiard went from 544 recorded bearers to 508. That is a decrease of 36 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #40,261 to #45,381.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Wiard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (469 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Wiard (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 Wiard mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name of Germanic origin. 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 Wiard (0.17 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 Wiard?
See how many Americans have the surname Wiard on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.