2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Widiker
A Germanic surname derived from elements meaning "wide" and "oak."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Widiker. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Widiker 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Widiker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Widiker, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Widiker
The surname Widiker originates from the regions of central Europe, primarily within the areas that are now Germany and Switzerland. The earliest references can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th centuries. This time period saw the formation of many surnames based on geographical features, occupations, and familial connections. The name Widiker likely derived from a place name or a notable land feature in these regions, suggesting someone who hailed from a village or hamlet named Widik or something phonetically similar.
The etymology of Widiker is thought to derive from older Germanic languages, combining "widu" meaning wood or forest, and a suffix like "-er" implying a connection or origin. This suggests that the initial bearers of the name may have lived near woods or worked in forestry-related occupations. Similar sounding variations such as Widich, Widicke, and Widiker appear in historical records, indicating the name's evolution over centuries.
Historical references to the name can be found in various medieval texts and documents. One of the earliest mentions is in a 14th-century land ownership register in the region of Hessen, Germany, where a certain Conrad Widiker is listed as a landholder. This ties the name to the geographical and social stratification of the period, highlighting the importance of land and its association with identity.
Another significant historical reference comes from a Swiss tax record of 1450, which lists a Hans Widiker, a resident of Zurich. The mention of Hans Widiker signifies the name's presence in prominent urban centers, suggesting that bearers of the name were involved in trades or local governance.
A notable early example of the surname is Dietrich Widiker (born 1482, died 1537), who was documented as a craftsman in Nuremberg. His prominence in local guild records suggests the name carried a certain repute within artisanal circles.
Moving into the 16th century, the name appears in church registries, pointing to a Johannes Widiker who was a Lutheran priest in Bavaria, living between 1520 and 1580. His involvement in the Reformation-era religious upheavals hints at the family's possible influence or participation in significant historical events.
Further down the lineage, a Jakob Widiker served as a municipal official in Basel, Switzerland in the early 17th century, circa 1620. His role in municipal governance demonstrates the surname's continued association with civic affairs and local leadership.
By the 18th century, records from the Habsburg Monarchy show an Elisabeth Widiker (1695-1760) who was a noted herbalist and midwife in Vienna. Her prominence in Viennese social history suggests that the Widiker name was associated with knowledge in medicine and traditional practices.
Throughout history, the surname Widiker has appeared in various forms and contexts, often linked to land, profession, and local significance. The evolution of the name reflects a journey through central European history, highlighting its bearers' contributions to their communities across centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Widiker
Among Census respondents with the surname Widiker, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Widiker 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 Widiker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Widiker
Widiker appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,963 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 Widiker 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 | #152,628 | #148,665 | 2.6% |
| Count | 107 | 111 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Widiker bearers went from 107 to 111 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #148,665.
FAQ
Widiker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Widiker?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Widiker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Widiker?
Widiker ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Widiker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Widiker.
Has Widiker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Widiker went from 107 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Widiker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Widiker, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Widiker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Widiker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Widiker (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 Widiker mean?
A Germanic surname derived from elements meaning "wide" and "oak." 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 Widiker (0.04 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 are called Widiker?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Widiker on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.