2000
#23,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,013
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Wiegert
A surname originating from the German word "wiege" meaning cradle or rocker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,305 Americans carry the last name Wiegert. That puts it at #23,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 262,647 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiegert 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
1.3K
1 in 262,647
Census rank
#23,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,138 bearers of the surname Wiegert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiegert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiegert
Wiegert is a surname of German origin, with its roots traceable to the German-speaking regions of Europe. The name likely originated from the areas of ancient Saxony, now part of modern-day Germany, where it emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old High German word "wig," meaning "battle," and "hard," meaning "strong" or "brave." Hence, Wiegert can be interpreted as "battle strong" or "battle brave."
The earliest records of the name Wiegert can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and documents. One of the earliest mentions of a similar name occurs in the 12th century, in a document referring to a certain Widger or Wigert, a knight in the service of the German nobility. This knight was documented as having fought in several battles during the period known as the Holy Roman Empire.
In the centuries that followed, the Wiegert surname appeared in various forms such as Wigehart, Wigard, and Wigert in different German-speaking regions. In the 14th and 15th centuries, several individuals with the Wiegert name are mentioned in tax records and legal documents from towns in Saxony and Thuringia, reflecting the name's growing prevalence.
A notable individual bearing the surname Wiegert was Johann Wiegert (1523-1598), a scholar and theologian from Saxony who wrote extensively on religious reform and was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation. His works were influential in the spread of Lutheranism in the region.
Another significant mention is of Heinrich Wiegert (1645-1712), an early German settler who emigrated to the Americas in the late 17th century. He settled in Pennsylvania and became one of the early German-American pioneers who contributed to the colonial agricultural economy.
In the 18th century, Friedrich Wiegert (1721-1793) became known as a master craftsman and guild member in the city of Bremen. His intricate woodworking and craftsmanship were reputed throughout the region, earning him a distinguished place in local history.
By the 19th century, Adolph Wiegert (1804-1881), an industrialist from Bavaria, made significant advancements in textile manufacturing, helping to position the region as a hub of industrial innovation in Germany. His contributions helped modernize the textile industry and promote economic growth.
Historically, the Wiegert surname has been associated with strength and resilience, reflective of its etymological origins. The name's widespread use in various German-speaking regions and its appearance in historical documents highlight its enduring legacy. The notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Wiegert have made their mark in various fields, from religious reform and settlement to craftsmanship and industrial progress.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiegert
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiegert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiegert 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 Wiegert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 1,054
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 38
- Two or more races2.5% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 8
- Black or African American0.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiegert
Wiegert 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
#22,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,134
+121 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 774 places
2020
#23,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,138
+4 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,411 | 1,013 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,637 | 1,134 | 0.38 | +121 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 774 places |
| 2020 | #23,082 | 1,138 | 0.38 | +4 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 445 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 Wiegert 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 | #22,637 | #23,082 | -2.0% |
| Count | 1,134 | 1,138 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiegert bearers went from 1,134 to 1,138 (+0.4% change). The surname moved down 445 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,637 to #23,082.
FAQ
Wiegert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiegert?
Name Census estimates that about 1,305 living Americans carry the surname Wiegert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 262,647 residents.
How common is Wiegert?
Wiegert ranks #23,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,138 people with the surname Wiegert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,305), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Wiegert.
Has Wiegert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiegert went from 1,134 recorded bearers to 1,138. That is an increase of 4 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,637 to #23,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiegert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiegert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wiegert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (1,054 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiegert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wiegert (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 Wiegert mean?
A surname originating from the German word "wiege" meaning cradle or rocker. 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 Wiegert (0.38 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 last name Wiegert?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Wiegert at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.