2000
#62,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 302
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Wichers
A surname of Dutch or Low German origin meaning "A maker of wicks or wax candles".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 373 Americans carry the last name Wichers. That puts it at #65,853 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 918,912 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wichers 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
373
1 in 918,912
Census rank
#65,853
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
325
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 325 bearers of the surname Wichers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 65853rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wichers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wichers
The surname Wichers is of Dutch origin and can be traced back to the Low Countries, specifically the regions that are now known as the Netherlands and Belgium. The name likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It originates from the Middle Dutch personal name Wicher, which is derived from an old Germanic compound of "wic," meaning "war," and "her," meaning "army" or "warrior." The suffix "s" in Wichers indicates a patronymic origin, essentially meaning "son of Wicher."
Historical records show that the name Wichers appears in various forms across old manuscripts and registries. One of the earliest mentions is found in the archives of the city of Groningen in the Netherlands, dating back to the 15th century. These records frequently document citizens, property transactions, and legal disputes, giving an indication of the social standing of individuals with the surname Wichers.
In 1563, Jan Wichers was recorded as a merchant in Amsterdam, suggesting that the family had engaged in trade and commerce early on. Another historical mention is that of Lambertus Wichers, born in 1611, who became known for his role in the administrative affairs of Friesland, a northern province in the Netherlands.
The Wichers name appears in various spellings and forms throughout history. In some records, the name was spelled as Wickers or Wiggers, reflecting regional dialects and the evolution of language over time. Noteworthy individuals with this surname include Johannes Wichers (1757-1831), a Dutch drafter who played an important role in cartography and land reclamation projects in the 18th century.
Another prominent figure is Berend Wichers, born in 1814, who served as a notable lawyer and politician in the northern Netherlands during the mid-19th century. His work in legal reformation earned him a distinguished place in Dutch legal history.
In more contemporary history, Jan Berend Wichers (1893-1987) served as a mechanical engineer and was pivotal in the developments of Dutch naval engineering during World War II. His contributions to ship design and maritime defense systems were notable.
Overall, the surname Wichers has a rich history rooted in medieval Europe, evolving through centuries with various notable individuals contributing to different facets of society, from trade and administration to engineering and law.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wichers
Among Census respondents with the surname Wichers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wichers 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 Wichers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 301
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 11
- Two or more races2.5% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 3
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wichers
Wichers 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
#84,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 222
-80 bearers (-26.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 22,417 places
2020
#65,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 325
+103 bearers (+46.4%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 18,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,046 | 302 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #84,463 | 222 | 0.08 | -80 bearers (-26.5%) | Down 22,417 places |
| 2020 | #65,853 | 325 | 0.11 | +103 bearers (+46.4%) | Up 18,610 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 Wichers 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 | #84,463 | #65,853 | 22.0% |
| Count | 222 | 325 | 46.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.11 | 35.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wichers bearers went from 222 to 325 (+46.4% change). The surname moved up 18,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #84,463 to #65,853.
FAQ
Wichers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wichers?
Name Census estimates that about 373 living Americans carry the surname Wichers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 918,912 residents.
How common is Wichers?
Wichers ranks #65,853 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 325 people with the surname Wichers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (373), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Wichers.
Has Wichers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wichers went from 222 recorded bearers to 325. That is an increase of 103 (+46.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #84,463 to #65,853.
What does the Census say about the background of Wichers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wichers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wichers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (301 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wichers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wichers (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 Wichers mean?
A surname of Dutch or Low German origin meaning "A maker of wicks or wax candles". 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 Wichers (0.11 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 common is the surname Wichers?
Want to know how many people are called Wichers? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.