2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wiethoff
A locative surname derived from a place name associated with meadows or grasslands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Wiethoff. 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 Wiethoff 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 Wiethoff 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 Wiethoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiethoff
The surname Wiethoff has its origins in Germany, particularly from the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia. Its history can be traced back to medieval times, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The name likely derived from Middle Low German, specifically from the words "wiede" meaning "meadow" or "pasture" and "hof" meaning "farm" or "homestead." Thus, the name Wiethoff can be interpreted as "farmstead by the meadow."
Medieval records and manuscripts from these regions occasionally mention the name Wiethoff. For instance, an individual named Heinrich Wiethoff appears in a 14th-century register of landholders in the Westphalian Münster region. Such records indicate the family’s engagement in agriculture and land-owning, reflecting the etymology of their surname which emphasizes their connection to pastoral land.
One of the earliest documented Wiethoffs was Johann Wiethoff, who was born around 1460 in the Westphalia region. Documentation from the late 15th century cites Johann as a participant in local guilds, indicating his active role in the community. His descendants carried the name forward, establishing the surname's presence in the area for generations.
In the 16th century, a figure named Dietrich Wiethoff, born in 1515 in Lower Saxony, gained some recognition. Dietrich was known for his patronage of the arts and his involvement in the Hanseatic League, which was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe. His contributions to trade and culture in the region were significant, and his name appears in several local historical documents.
Moving into the 18th century, Georg Wiethoff, born in 1723, became notable for his role in local governance. Serving as a magistrate in a small town near Hannover, Georg played a crucial role in municipal administration. His name is recorded in the town's council records, highlighting his service and impact on local law and order.
In the late 19th century, the name Wiethoff had spread beyond Germany. Wilhelm Wiethoff, born in 1850, emigrated to the United States in the 1870s. He settled in the Midwest, where his family became engaged in farming, continuing the agrarian tradition suggested by their surname. Wilhelm's journey and settlement in America are documented in various immigration records and local histories of the time.
Clara Wiethoff, born in 1888 in Berlin, was the first woman in her family to achieve prominence in academia. A mathematician, she published several influential papers in the early 20th century, contributing significantly to her field. Clara’s academic records and publications remain a testament to her intellectual legacy.
The Wiethoff surname, rooted deeply in German pastoral and agrarian culture, evolved over the centuries to include individuals of diverse achievements across different regions and eras. From medieval landholders to modern academics, the Wiethoff name encapsulates a rich history of familial and cultural advancement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiethoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiethoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiethoff 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 Wiethoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiethoff
Wiethoff 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+7 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,353 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,813 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 2,353 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,813 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 Wiethoff 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 | #144,141 | #147,954 | -2.6% |
| Count | 115 | 112 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiethoff bearers went from 115 to 112 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,813 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,954.
FAQ
Wiethoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiethoff?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Wiethoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Wiethoff?
Wiethoff 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 Wiethoff. 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 Wiethoff.
Has Wiethoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiethoff went from 115 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiethoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiethoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Wiethoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiethoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Wiethoff (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 Wiethoff mean?
A locative surname derived from a place name associated with meadows or grasslands. 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 Wiethoff (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 Wiethoff?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.