Find out how popular the last name Wichmann is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wichmann.

Wichmann, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wichmann surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wichmann in America

Wichmann is the 19834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wichmann surname appeared 1,355 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wichmann.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wichmann to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wichmann

The surname Wichmann has its origins in Germany, with roots tracing back to the early medieval period. The name is derived from the Old High German words 'wîh' meaning 'holy' or 'sacred' and 'man,' which translates to 'man' or 'person.' This suggests that the name could originally have referred to a person with a connection to a religious or sacred site, or someone who was considered to have a holy character.

Wichmann first appeared in historical records in the context of the Saxon nobility during the 9th and 10th centuries. One of the earliest and most notable bearers of the surname was Wichmann the Elder, born around 900 AD and died in 944 AD. He was a Saxon count in the Holy Roman Empire and part of the Billung dynasty.

Another significant figure was his son, Wichmann the Younger, born circa 930 AD and deceased in 967 AD. Known for his rebellious stance against Emperor Otto I, Wichmann the Younger was involved in various uprisings and played a crucial role in the Saxon insurrections during the mid-10th century.

The surname also appears in various place names, reflecting its geographic and historical significance. For instance, Wichmannsbach, a locality in modern-day Germany, likely derives its name from early settlers or landowners bearing the surname. This helps researchers trace the movement and establishment of the Wichmann family throughout history.

In the ecclesiastical realm, Wichmann von Seeburg, born around 1115 and died in 1192, held the influential position of Archbishop of Magdeburg. His tenure was marked by efforts to expand the influence of the Church, as well as political engagements with regional nobility and the Holy Roman Emperor.

Moving ahead to the late medieval period, Wichmann of Arnstein, who died in 1270, was a notable cleric in the Bekenthüm monastery. His contributions to the monastery and its surrounding community are documented in local ecclesiastical records, underscoring the clerical heritage of the name.

By the Renaissance period, the surname Wichmann continued to be associated with learned individuals. Hermann Wichmann, born in 1506 and died in 1584, was a noted philosopher and educator. His scholarly works contributed significantly to the academic discourses of his time.

As the centuries progressed, the Wichmann name persisted, evident in records and personal histories throughout various regions of Germany. The name's endurance highlights its deep roots within the country's nobility, ecclesiastical history, and academic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wichmann

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wichmann.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wichmann was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wichmann has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wichmann was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wichmann, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!