2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wieclaw
A Polish surname meaning "eternal glory" or "everlasting praise".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Wieclaw. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wieclaw 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Wieclaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieclaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wieclaw
The surname Wieclaw originates from Poland, a country in Central Europe with a rich history of distinct cultural and linguistic influences. The name is primarily found in the region historically known as Greater Poland, which centers around the city of Poznań. Etymologically, Wieclaw is a compound of two Slavic elements: "wiek," meaning age or era, and "sław," meaning glory or fame. Thus, the name can be interpreted as "glory of the age" or "famous through the ages."
The surname Wieclaw has historical roots dating back to medieval Poland. It is derived from old Polish given names such as Wiekomil and Wieclaw, which were common during the medieval period. An early recorded instance of a similar name, Wiecsław, can be found in documents from the 14th century, indicating the prominence of the name in Polish nobility and scholarly records.
In historical records, the name Wieclaw appeared in various forms and spellings, reflecting the phonetic variations and regional dialects of the time. For example, the name was found in old manuscripts as Wiekoslaw or Wyeslaw. One of the earliest mentions of the surname in its modern form dates back to 1423, when Jan Wieclaw, a nobleman from Greater Poland, was recorded in a legal document concerning a land dispute.
The name continued to appear in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, Jakub Wieclaw, born in 1545, served as a notable knight under King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland and was mentioned in several chronicles for his valor in the Livonian War. Another significant figure, Katarzyna Wieclaw, born in 1610, was recorded in church documents for her charitable work and contributions to the renovation of local parishes in the Poznań region.
Moving into the Enlightenment period, Stanisław Wieclaw, an influential Polish philosopher and educator, born in 1702, played a crucial role in the establishment of educational reforms in Poland. His works and teachings are still studied in Polish academic circles. Additionally, the surname Wieclaw appeared in literature, with Janusz Wieclaw, born in 1801, being a prominent poet and writer of the Romantic era, whose works capture the essence of Polish folklore and patriotism.
By the late 19th century, the name existed not only in Poland but also among the Polish diaspora. Franciszek Wieclaw, born in 1880, emigrated to the United States and became a well-known community leader in Chicago, contributing significantly to the cultural preservation of Polish heritage among immigrants.
In summary, the surname Wieclaw holds a distinguished place in Polish history, reflecting the nation's cultural evolution and the prominence of individuals bearing the name across centuries. The legacy of the name endures through historical documents, literary works, and the notable contributions of those who carried it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wieclaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieclaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wieclaw 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 Wieclaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wieclaw
Wieclaw 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+15 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,212 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-12 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 4,212 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 12,963 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 Wieclaw 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 | #129,825 | #142,788 | -10.0% |
| Count | 131 | 119 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wieclaw bearers went from 131 to 119 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 12,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #142,788.
FAQ
Wieclaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wieclaw?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Wieclaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Wieclaw?
Wieclaw ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Wieclaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Wieclaw.
Has Wieclaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wieclaw went from 131 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Wieclaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieclaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Wieclaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wieclaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Wieclaw (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 Wieclaw mean?
A Polish surname meaning "eternal glory" or "everlasting praise". 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 Wieclaw (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 Americans have the surname Wieclaw?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.