Wieder last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wieder

A German surname indicating someone who returns or comes back.

Wieder, 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 Wieder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wieder in America

Wieder is the 17216th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wieder surname appeared 1,645 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wieder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wieder 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 17216 14890 14.49%
Count 1,645 1,823 -10.27%
Proportion per 100k 0.56 0.68 -19.35%

The history of the last name Wieder

The surname Wieder has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly within Germany. The name has been traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th and 13th centuries, when surnames began to be systematically used. The regions where this name frequently appeared included Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria.

The etymology of the name Wieder can be linked to the Middle High German word "wieder," which means "again" or "once more." It is also possible that the name is derived from the Old High German term "wied," meaning "wood" or "forest." These meanings suggest that the name could have originally described a person who lived near a forest or someone who returned or came back frequently.

Historical references to the surname Wieder are found in various old records and manuscripts. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name appears in a document from 1293, which mentions a Heinrich Wider living in what is now modern-day Bavaria. Records from the 14th century show the name spelled variously as Wider, Wyder, and Weder, reflecting the phonetic spelling conventions of the time.

Wilhelm Wieder, a notable figure in the 16th century, was a prominent merchant born in 1503 and died in 1578. He operated a successful trading company based in Augsburg, which was a significant trading hub in Renaissance Germany. His contributions to commerce and his involvement in the local guilds have been well documented.

Johann Wieder was a renowned theologian born in 1630 and died in 1692. He was a professor at the University of Heidelberg and authored several critical treatises on Lutheran doctrine. His works were influential in the religious debates of his time, and his scholarship was respected across Europe.

In the 18th century, Maria Wieder became a celebrated artist, specializing in portrait painting. Born in 1750 and dying in 1804, her works were exhibited in various courts throughout Central Europe. She gained particular recognition for her detailed and expressive depictions of the nobility.

August Wieder, born in 1829 and died in 1901, was a distinguished engineer who contributed significantly to the industrialization of Germany. He was involved in the development of early railway systems and held several patents for mechanical devices that improved the efficiency of steam engines.

Ernst Wieder, a significant political figure in the early 20th century, was born in 1885 and died in 1947. He was involved in the Weimar Republic's politics and served as a member of the Reichstag. His advocacy for economic reforms and social welfare programs left a lasting impact on German policy.

Overall, the surname Wieder has a rich history, tied closely to the cultural and social developments within German-speaking regions over the centuries. The name has been borne by individuals of significant distinction in various fields, including commerce, theology, art, engineering, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wieder

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

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 Wieder was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.60% 1,589
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.49% 8
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.03% 17
Hispanic Origin 1.34% 22

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.60% 95.06% 1.61%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.49% 0.38% 25.29%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.03% 2.47% -82.29%
Hispanic 1.34% 1.70% -23.68%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

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

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

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

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.