Wieber last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wieber

A locational surname derived from a place name containing the German word "wieben" meaning to shake or vibrate.

Wieber, 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 Wieber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wieber in America

Wieber is the 23555th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wieber surname appeared 1,078 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 Wieber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wieber 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 23555 21039 11.28%
Count 1,078 1,164 -7.67%
Proportion per 100k 0.37 0.43 -15.00%

The history of the last name Wieber

The surname Wieber originates from Germany, primarily from the regions of Baden and Württemberg in Southwestern Germany. The name has medieval roots, likely emerging around the 13th or 14th century. Surnames in this era frequently reflected personal characteristics, occupations, or geographical features. The surname Wieber could be traced back to the German word Weber, meaning "weaver," indicating that it is an occupational surname for those involved in weaving.

The variations in the spelling of the surname Wieber include Weber, Wever, and Webber, which were common during the Middle Ages as record-keeping was inconsistent, and names were often written phonetically. Historical documents such as tax records from the 1500s or ecclesiastical documents from the early modern period occasionally feature these variant spellings, reflecting the fluidity of surname orthography before standardization.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in its original homeland is Hans Weber, who appears in a tax document from the town of Esslingen in Württemberg around 1490. This document is an example of the many occupational surnames that became hereditary during this period, signifying the possessor's profession.

Another notable historical reference includes Johann Michael Weber (1702-1798), a well-known German weaver from Karlsruhe, whose craftsmanship contributed to the textile industry in the region. His descendants likely adapted the surname to Wieber, which became a distinct family line over generations.

In the 18th century, the surname Wieber appears in emigration records from Germany to the Americas, with many individuals seeking new opportunities. Among these early emigrants was Jakob Wieber (1755-1832), who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent figure in the local community due to his work in improving agricultural techniques. His lineage continued in the United States, maintaining the original surname spelling.

Another significant historical figure is Friedrich Wieber (1831-1905), a prominent German industrialist in the 19th century. He played a crucial role in the industrialization of Germany by initiating several manufacturing enterprises in Württemberg. His contributions were recognized nationally, and his family name became associated with innovation and economic development.

In more recent history, Károly Wieber (1860-1929), a Hungarian academic of German descent, made substantial contributions to the field of ethnography. His works on the cultural practices and social structures of Central European communities have been preserved in various historical archives, reflecting the continued influence of the Wieber name in academic circles.

The surname Wieber, thus, holds a rich history intertwined with the trades, industries, and academic pursuits of the regions from which it originated and spread. This lineage reflects the broader sociocultural shifts over centuries, encapsulated within the journeys of individual family members who bore the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wieber

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

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 Wieber was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.38% 1,039
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.74% 8
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.30% 14
Hispanic Origin 1.21% 13

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 Wieber has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.38% 96.74% -0.37%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.74% 0.86% -15.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.30% 0.52% 85.71%
Hispanic 1.21% 1.37% -12.40%

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

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

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"Wieber last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wieber-surname-popularity/.

"Wieber last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wieber-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Wieber last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/wieber-surname-popularity/.

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