2000
#85,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Widenhouse
A surname derived from a residence with a spacious or wide house.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 216 Americans carry the last name Widenhouse. That puts it at #102,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,586,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Widenhouse 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
216
1 in 1,586,826
Census rank
#102,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
188
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 188 bearers of the surname Widenhouse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Widenhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Widenhouse
The surname Widenhouse is believed to have its origins in Germany, with roots traceable back to the medieval period, which spans from the 5th to the late 15th century. The name likely originated in regions of Germany such as Bavaria, Saxony, or the Rhineland, areas where compound surnames constructed of geographic or descriptive elements were commonplace.
Widenhouse can be broken down into its constituent parts: "wide" and "house." The term "wide" in Old High German "wît" means broad or expansive, while "house" in Old High German "hûs" refers to a dwelling or residence. The name might have originally described a person who lived in a notable large house or near a prominent building that was significantly wider and more prominent than those in the vicinity.
The spelling and pronunciation of surnames varied widely in medieval times due to the lack of standardized spelling. Variations such as Wiedenhaus, Wiedenhause, or even Wiedenhausen might appear in old documents, reflecting different dialects and phonetic interpretations of the time.
Historical references to the name Widenhouse can be found in various regional documents and records. One early instance is found in church registries from the late 16th century in what is now modern-day Germany. One notable individual from this time is Johannes Widenhouse, who was born in 1573 and mentioned in church records from Bavaria as a local magistrate.
Another early reference is Carl von Wiedenhausen, born in 1661, documented as a landowner in Saxony. His estate's records provide insight into the usage and prominence of the name during that period, suggesting a status associated with local gentry or substantial property ownership.
In the 18th century, as migration increased, the name Widenhouse appears in emigration records to America. One prominent individual was Johann Heinrich Widenhouse, born in 1720, who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1754. His descendants played a significant role in the local communities, particularly in agriculture and local governance.
Wilhelm Widenhouse, born in 1792, is recorded in Prussian military documents as a decorated officer during the Napoleonic Wars. His service records highlight the patriotic fervor and contribution of the Widenhouse family to national defense during a tumultuous period in European history.
Another figure of historical note is Anna Maria Widenhouse, born in 1838, recognized for her contributions to early educational reform in her native Württemberg. Her efforts in establishing a school for girls were pioneering at a time when female education was not widely emphasized.
The Widenhouse name, with its historical connotations of place and prominence, provides a valuable glimpse into the lives of those who bore it, reflecting their contributions to their communities and regions over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Widenhouse
Among Census respondents with the surname Widenhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Widenhouse 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 Widenhouse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 179
- Two or more races2.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Widenhouse
Widenhouse 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
#86,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 217
+14 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 362 places
2020
#102,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188
-29 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 16,159 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,643 | 203 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,005 | 217 | 0.07 | +14 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 362 places |
| 2020 | #102,164 | 188 | 0.06 | -29 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 16,159 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 Widenhouse 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 | #86,005 | #102,164 | -18.8% |
| Count | 217 | 188 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Widenhouse bearers went from 217 to 188 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 16,159 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,005 to #102,164.
FAQ
Widenhouse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Widenhouse?
Name Census estimates that about 216 living Americans carry the surname Widenhouse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,586,826 residents.
How common is Widenhouse?
Widenhouse ranks #102,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 188 people with the surname Widenhouse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Widenhouse.
Has Widenhouse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Widenhouse went from 217 recorded bearers to 188. That is a decrease of 29 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #86,005 to #102,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Widenhouse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Widenhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). 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 Widenhouse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (179 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Widenhouse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). 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 Widenhouse (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 Widenhouse mean?
A surname derived from a residence with a spacious or wide house. 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 Widenhouse (0.06 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 Widenhouse?
You can see how common the surname Widenhouse is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.