2000
#14,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,823
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Wieder
A German surname indicating someone who returns or comes back.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,374 Americans carry the last name Wieder. That puts it at #13,950 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,378 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wieder 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
2.4K
1 in 144,378
Census rank
#13,950
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,070 bearers of the surname Wieder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13950th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieder, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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Historical references to the surname Wieder are found in various old records and manuscripts.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wieder
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieder, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wieder 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 Wieder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 1,957
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 48
- Two or more races2.0% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wieder
Wieder 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
#17,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,645
-178 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 2,326 places
2020
#13,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,070
+425 bearers (+25.8%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 3,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,890 | 1,823 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,216 | 1,645 | 0.56 | -178 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 2,326 places |
| 2020 | #13,950 | 2,070 | 0.69 | +425 bearers (+25.8%) | Up 3,266 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 Wieder 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 | #17,216 | #13,950 | 19.0% |
| Count | 1,645 | 2,070 | 25.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.69 | 23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wieder bearers went from 1,645 to 2,070 (+25.8% change). The surname moved up 3,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,216 to #13,950.
FAQ
Wieder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wieder?
Name Census estimates that about 2,374 living Americans carry the surname Wieder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,378 residents.
How common is Wieder?
Wieder ranks #13,950 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,070 people with the surname Wieder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,374), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wieder.
Has Wieder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wieder went from 1,645 recorded bearers to 2,070. That is an increase of 425 (+25.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,216 to #13,950.
What does the Census say about the background of Wieder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieder, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wieder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (1,957 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wieder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wieder (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 Wieder mean?
A German surname indicating someone who returns or comes back. 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 Wieder (0.69 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 have the surname Wieder?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.