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

Wier, 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 Wier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wier in America

Wier is the 11716th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wier surname appeared 2,675 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 Wier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wier 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 Wier

The surname WIER is of English and Scottish origin, derived from the Old English word "wer" or "wyer," meaning a dam or weir, a structure built across a river to control the flow of water. This name is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked at a weir.

The earliest known record of the WIER surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Northumberland, England. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Thomas de la Wyre.

In Scotland, the WIER surname is found in several areas, including Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and the Scottish Borders. It is believed that some instances of the name may have derived from the place name Weir, a small village in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Notable historical figures with the WIER surname include:

1. Thomas Weir (c. 1670-1670), a Scottish man who was convicted and executed for witchcraft and other crimes in Edinburgh in 1670.

2. William Weir (1802-1858), a Scottish poet and songwriter born in Greenock, known for his works celebrating the Renfrewshire region.

3. Robert Walter Weir (1803-1889), an American painter and educator who served as the president of the National Academy of Design in New York.

4. John Ferguson Weir (1837-1926), an American painter and sculptor, the son of Robert Walter Weir, known for his portraits and genre scenes.

5. Wilfred Weir (1888-1945), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Alberta from 1935 to 1937.

Over time, the WIER surname has undergone various spellings, such as Weir, Wyer, Wier, Wyre, Wyre, and Wier. These variations can be found in historical records and documents across different regions where the name was prevalent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wier

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!