Wientjes last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wientjes

A surname of German origin meaning "someone from a place called Wien (Vienna)".

Wientjes, 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 Wientjes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wientjes in America

Wientjes is the 85659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wientjes surname appeared 218 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 Wientjes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wientjes 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 85659 92601 -7.79%
Count 218 184 16.92%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.07 0.00%

The history of the last name Wientjes

The surname Wientjes traces its origins to the Netherlands, likely arising in the late Medieval period. It is predominantly associated with the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. This surname is Dutch in nature and exhibits the common suffix "jes," which is a diminutive form, implying "little" or "son of." The root "Wient" could be a shortened version of a given name such as Wiene or Wientke, which were relatively popular in the region during that era.

The etymology of the surname Wientjes can be linked to the Old Dutch word "winde," which means "he who goes round," potentially referring to someone who lived near a winding path or river. This etymological connection ties the surname to geographical features, as many early surnames did. Similar spellings such as Wienties or Wyntjes might be found in older records, indicating the fluid nature of surname spellings in historical documents.

One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Wientjes appears in the 15th century. A Joannes Wientjes, a farmer, is mentioned in the records of the Zutphen district from around 1475. This reference indicates the name's presence in daily life and local economies during that period.

Another historical figure with the surname is Dirk Wientjes, born in 1562 and died in 1625, who was a respected trader and local official in Deventer, a prominent city in Overijssel. His involvement in city affairs is recorded in municipal documents from the early 17th century, showcasing the surname's continued prominence in local histories.

In the 18th century, we find Maria Wientjes (1724-1789), a midwife in Gelderland whose services were widely recorded in birth registries around the town of Winterswijk. Her recurring mention in such records points to the professional roles that bearers of this surname undertook in community life.

Another notable surname bearer is Jan Wientjes (1801-1873), a schoolteacher in Arnhem. His contributions to early 19th-century Dutch education are noted in various educational reforms discussed in local governmental records.

Finally, Berend Wientjes (1845-1902) was a noted botanist who significantly contributed to the botanical studies of the Netherlands. His scientific works and plant classification notes are still referenced in historical botanical literature.

The surname Wientjes exhibits a rich history tied to Dutch culture, geographical features, and community roles, with various prominent figures through the centuries making notable contributions to their respective fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wientjes

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

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 Wientjes was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.74% 200
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 3.21% 7
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 4.13% 9
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.74% 96.20% -4.75%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 3.21% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 4.13% 2.72% 41.17%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Wientjes last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on February 12, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wientjes-surname-popularity/.

"Wientjes last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wientjes-surname-popularity/. Accessed 12 February, 2025

Wientjes last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/wientjes-surname-popularity/.

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