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

Wiens, 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 Wiens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiens in America

Wiens is the 12593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiens surname appeared 2,458 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 Wiens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiens 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 Wiens

The surname "WIENS" is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period in Central Europe. The name is believed to have derived from the German word "Wien," which means "Vienna," the capital city of Austria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Nuremberg Chronicles, a historic book published in 1493, where a "Hans Wiens" is mentioned as a merchant from Vienna. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locative surname, given to individuals who hailed from or had a connection to the city of Vienna.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears in various church records and historical documents across German-speaking regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia. Several variations of the spelling, such as "Wiens," "Wyens," and "Wienss," can be found in these records.

In the 18th century, the name "WIENS" began to spread beyond the German states as families migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable figure from this era was Johann Wiens, a German-born philosopher and theologian (1723-1789), who made significant contributions to the field of Christian apologetics.

As the name spread across continents, it also evolved to reflect local dialects and linguistic influences. In the United States, for instance, the spelling "WIENS" became more prevalent among families of German descent who settled in regions like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the Midwest.

Other noteworthy individuals with the surname "WIENS" include:

1. Gottfried Wiens (1835-1901), a German-American artist and painter known for his landscape works depicting the American West.
2. Ella Wiens (1892-1976), a Canadian author and educator who wrote several books on prairie life and the experiences of Mennonite settlers in Western Canada.
3. Heinrich Wiens (1874-1937), a Russian-born Mennonite leader and minister who played a significant role in the establishment of Mennonite communities in Canada and the United States.
4. Otto Wiens (1875-1958), a German-American inventor and engineer who patented several innovations in the field of automotive technology.
5. Gerhard Wiens (1898-1957), a German-Canadian artist and illustrator who gained recognition for his depictions of rural life in the Canadian prairies.

These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse narratives associated with the surname "WIENS," which has left an indelible mark across various regions and cultural landscapes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiens

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

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

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

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