2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wiediger
A German surname possibly derived from a location name or occupational term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Wiediger. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiediger 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Wiediger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiediger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiediger
The surname Wiediger originates from Germany, with its roots deeply embedded in the medieval era. The name is believed to have first appeared in regions such as Bavaria and the Rhineland, areas known for their rich linguistic and cultural histories. It derives from the Middle High German word "wiede" or "wida," which means willow or pasture, coupled with the suffix "-ger," denoting someone who lives by or works with willow trees or pastures. Similar spellings in early records include Wiedig and Wiedemann, illustrating the name’s evolution over time.
Records from the 12th and 13th centuries provide some of the earliest references to the name. In Bavaria, a manuscript from 1212 mentions a Heinrich Wiediger, a land steward responsible for managing estates. Historical documents from the Rhineland also reference a Conrad Wiediger in 1278, noted as a craftsman in a local guild. These records suggest the name was primarily associated with individuals involved in agriculture or craftsmanship, reflecting the etymology linked to willow trees and pastures.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname in public records can be found in a tax roll from 1342, listing a Hans Wiediger as a landowner in the region now known as North Rhine-Westphalia. This indicates that the surname was well-established by the 14th century and associated with landholding and agrarian activities. An even earlier mention can be found in ecclesiastical records from the late 12th century, where a cleric named Friedrich Wiediger was documented, suggesting that the name was also present among the religious community.
Over the centuries, various branches of the Wiediger family migrated from Germany to other parts of Europe. By the 16th century, the name appeared in records from Switzerland, and during the Thirty Years' War, several members of the Wiediger family settled in what is now the Czech Republic. A notable figure during this period was Peter Wiediger, born in 1587, who became a renowned blacksmith in the region of Moravia, with his descendants continuing the trade for generations.
In the 18th century, the name Wiediger crossed the Atlantic with European immigrants settling in the Americas. One prominent figure was Johann Georg Wiediger, who arrived in Pennsylvania around 1750. His descendants played vital roles in the early development of the farming communities in the region. Another significant individual was Wilhelm Wiediger, born in 1734, who contributed to early American colonial architecture and whose works still stand today as historical landmarks.
Throughout history, the Wiediger surname has been associated with individuals who made significant contributions to their communities, whether through land management, craftsmanship, or migration. The name, with its ancient Germanic origins, has a rich and varied history, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiediger
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiediger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiediger 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 Wiediger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiediger
Wiediger 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,188 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+12 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,937 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,188 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 11,937 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 Wiediger 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 | #158,432 | #146,495 | 7.5% |
| Count | 102 | 114 | 11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiediger bearers went from 102 to 114 (+11.8% change). The surname moved up 11,937 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #146,495.
FAQ
Wiediger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiediger?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Wiediger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Wiediger?
Wiediger ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Wiediger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Wiediger.
Has Wiediger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiediger went from 102 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 12 (+11.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiediger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiediger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Wiediger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiediger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Wiediger (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 Wiediger mean?
A German surname possibly derived from a location name or occupational term. 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 Wiediger (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 people share the surname Wiediger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.