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

Wiedmaier, 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 Wiedmaier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiedmaier in America

Wiedmaier is the 68345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiedmaier surname appeared 288 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 Wiedmaier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiedmaier 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.

The history of the last name Wiedmaier

The surname Wiedmaier has its origins in Germany, likely emerging during the medieval period. The name is thought to originate from the regions of Swabia and Bavaria in southern Germany. It is likely a composite of the German words "wied" meaning "meadow" and "maier" or "meier," which was a term used for a tenant farmer or leaseholder. This suggests that the name Wiedmaier originally referred to someone who worked or owned a meadow farm.

Recordings of the surname in historical documents are sparse, but it is reasonable to assume that the name appeared in local registers, tax records, and church documents of the aforementioned regions. One of the earliest mentions comes from a 14th-century Bavarian manuscript where a Heinrich Wiedmaier is noted as a landowner in the region. This is a significant point as it establishes the name in a historical context early in its development.

By the 16th century, the name Wiedmaier appears more frequently in regional church documents. For example, in 1564, a Hans Wiedmaier is recorded in the baptismal records of a church in Ulm, a city in Swabia. Such records are crucial as they indicate the broader familial connections and social standing of individuals who bore the surname during that period.

In the 17th century, the Thirty Years' War caused significant upheaval in many regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Swabia. During this period, one notable figure bearing the surname was Georg Wiedmaier, born in 1603 and living until 1671, who became known for his service as a local militia leader defending his village from various marauding forces. His efforts are documented in regional histories detailing the localized impacts of the war.

The 18th century sees the surname Wiedmaier appearing in more secular documents, such as property records and marriage registries. In 1725, a Maria Elisabeth Wiedmaier is listed in the marriage records of Augsburg, another key city in Bavaria. These records provide insights into the migration and settlement patterns of families bearing this surname over several centuries.

Moving into the 19th century, the name Wiedmaier appears in emigration records as many Germans, including those from Bavaria and Swabia, moved to the Americas in search of better opportunities. A notable emigrant was Johann Wiedmaier, born in 1840 near Munich, who settled in the United States around 1860 and became a prominent community member in a burgeoning German-American enclave in Missouri.

Overall, the history of the surname Wiedmaier traces a rich lineage from medieval tenant farmers in Germany to families broaching the New World. The name’s heritage is deeply connected to the agrarian lifestyles and socio-political changes in southern Germany, mapping the evolution of surnames in response to economic, social, and migratory influences across centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiedmaier

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

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 Wiedmaier was:

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

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

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

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