Wiedenfeld last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wiedenfeld

Of German origin, referring to a field or meadow.

Wiedenfeld, 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 Wiedenfeld surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiedenfeld in America

Wiedenfeld is the 60196th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiedenfeld surname appeared 335 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 Wiedenfeld.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiedenfeld 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 60196 63450 -5.26%
Count 335 294 13.04%
Proportion per 100k 0.11 0.11 0.00%

The history of the last name Wiedenfeld

The surname Wiedenfeld has its origins in Germany, specifically from the regions in and around the Rhineland. The name is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, with records suggesting its use as early as the 12th century. The earliest form of the name possibly originated from the Old High German words "wiede," meaning meadow, and "feld," meaning field. The combination of these terms suggests that the name initially described someone who lived by a meadow field or an area characterized by such landscape.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wiedenfeld name can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Mainz, which was an important cultural and religious center in medieval Germany. The document references a Henricus de Wiedenfeld who appeared as a witness in a local court case circa 1275. This indicates that the Wiedenfeld name was already well-established in the region by this time.

The name Wiedenfeld continued to appear in historical documents throughout the centuries. In the 15th century, a Johannes Wiedenfeld is mentioned in the records of the University of Heidelberg, where he was listed as a scholar around the year 1450. This highlights the presence of the Wiedenfeld family in academic circles as well as their contribution to the scholarly activities of the time.

In the mid-17th century, a significant figure in the history of the name appeared: Jacob Wiedenfeld (1634-1698), who was a noted theologian and writer. Jacob's works were influential in the realms of religious discourse and were widely read across German-speaking territories. His contributions added not just to the theological literature but also to the prominence of the Wiedenfeld name.

By the 18th century, the name Wiedenfeld had spread to various parts of the German-speaking world. A notable person from this century was Friedrich Wiedenfeld (1712-1774), an accomplished artisan known for his craftsmanship in metalwork. His creations were celebrated for their artistic value and practical design, earning him commissions from several European courts.

In the 19th century, the name gained literary renown through the works of Clara Wiedenfeld (1850-1909), a poet and author whose writings were part of the burgeoning Romantic movement in Germany. Clara's poetry often reflected themes of nature and rural life, resonating with the etymological roots of her surname.

The surname Wiedenfeld not only survived but thrived through the centuries, appearing in varied records and associated with individuals who made significant contributions to their fields. From its medieval origins in the Rhineland to its presence in academic, theological, artistic, and literary circles, the history of the Wiedenfeld name is rich and multifaceted.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiedenfeld

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

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 Wiedenfeld was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.81% 331
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.81% 97.96% 0.86%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Wiedenfeld last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wiedenfeld-surname-popularity/.

"Wiedenfeld last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wiedenfeld-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 July, 2025

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

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