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

Widener, 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 Widener surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Widener in America

Widener is the 6250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Widener surname appeared 5,464 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Widener.

We can also compare 2010 data for Widener 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 Widener

The surname Widener originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "witen," meaning "to spread" or "to extend," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a wide or expansive area.

The name first appeared in historical records in the town of Widener, located in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This town's name is thought to have influenced the surname's spelling and pronunciation. In the 1500s, the name was often spelled as "Widner" or "Wittner" in various parish registers and local documents.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Widener was Hans Widener, a farmer born in Widener, Germany, in 1532. Another notable figure was Johann Widener, a merchant and landowner who lived in the nearby town of Trier in the late 16th century.

As the Widener family spread across Europe, the name underwent slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In France, it was sometimes written as "Videnaire" or "Videner," while in England, it appeared as "Widener" or "Widner."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a William Widener was baptized in 1639. Another notable figure was Sir John Widener (1699-1772), a prominent merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1761.

In the United States, the Widener family gained prominence in the 19th century. Peter A.B. Widener (1834-1915), a Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist, established the Widener Library at Harvard University and the Widener Museum of Art in Philadelphia. His son, Harry Elkins Widener (1885-1912), was a renowned book collector who perished aboard the RMS Titanic.

Other notable individuals with the surname Widener include Robert Widener (1942-2007), an American businessman and philanthropist, and Bradley Widener (born 1955), a former professional tennis player who won several Grand Slam doubles titles in the 1980s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Widener

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

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 Widener 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 Widener 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 Widener was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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