2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wieske
A name of German origin meaning "little meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Wieske. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wieske 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Wieske in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieske, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wieske
The surname Wieske originates from the northern parts of Central Europe, with a strong likelihood that its roots lie in present-day Germany or Poland. The name has Germanic origins, typical of many surnames that emerged in this region during the Late Middle Ages, around the 14th to 15th century.
Wieske likely derives from the Old High German word "wiese," meaning "meadow" or "field," combined with a diminutive suffix "ke," which was common in many Germanic dialects. This suggests the name might have originally been a topographical surname, indicating someone who lived near or worked with meadows or fields, or it may be a patronymic surname, indicating a familial connection to an individual associated with the name "Wiese."
Historical references to the surname Wieske are sparse but traceable. One of the earliest recorded mentions is in the municipal records of Pomerania, a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea, during the late 16th century. A Johann Wieske appears in land transaction documents from 1589 in the city of Stralsund.
Anne Wieske, born in 1723 and deceased in 1781, is another notable early bearer of this surname, known from records in the Duchy of Mecklenburg, where she was involved in local trade and crafts. Her prominence in the regional economy provides early evidence of the surname's association with urban and semi-urban communities.
By the 19th century, the surname Wieske appears more frequently in civil, military, and ecclesiastical records. Friedrich Wieske, born in 1802 and died in 1875, served as a minor official in the Prussian administrative system, evidencing the spread of the surname within bureaucratic circles. His contributions included several reforms in local governance between 1835 and 1860, marking the name's historical significance in regional administration.
Another key figure is Sophia Wieske, born in 1841 and passed away in 1914, who was an early advocate for women's education in Eastern Prussia. Her work led to the establishment of the first girls' school in her town, influencing educational reforms and providing an enduring legacy associated with the Wieske surname.
A 20th-century notable bearer of the name is Karl Wieske, born in 1873 and deceased in 1941, who served as a distinguished officer in the German Imperial Army during World War I. His military career was marked by several commendations and a posthumous recognition for his strategic acumen during the conflict.
Throughout history, the surname Wieske has evolved in various forms and spellings, including Wiske, Wiske, and Wiski, often influenced by regional dialects and local linguistic practices. Despite its somewhat modest footprint in comparison to other more widespread surnames, Wieske holds a distinct place in Central European history, reflecting a legacy of trade, governance, education, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wieske
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieske, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wieske 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 Wieske surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wieske
Wieske 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-5 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,178 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-13 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 12,178 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 13,242 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 Wieske 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 | #134,712 | #147,954 | -9.8% |
| Count | 125 | 112 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wieske bearers went from 125 to 112 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 13,242 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #147,954.
FAQ
Wieske surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wieske?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Wieske. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Wieske?
Wieske ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Wieske. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Wieske.
Has Wieske become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wieske went from 125 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Wieske?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wieske, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Wieske in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wieske appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Wieske (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 Wieske mean?
A name of German origin meaning "little meadow". 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 Wieske (0.04 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 share the surname Wieske?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.