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

Wigren, 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 Wigren surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wigren in America

Wigren is the 68345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wigren surname appeared 288 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 Wigren.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wigren 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 Wigren

The surname Wigren has its origins in Sweden, most likely emerging in the 18th or 19th century. The name is composed of two elements: "wig," which may derive from the Old Norse word "vígr," meaning "ready for battle" or "war-like" and "grén," which refers to "sprig" or "branch." Together, the components suggest a family associated with strength or readiness, coupled with a connection to nature. This duality may indicate a lineage of warriors or people known for their robust character and ties to the natural environment.

Wigren does not appear in medieval records like the Domesday Book, which cataloged lands and their holders in England in 1086. This is consistent with its Scandinavian origin since Sweden was not part of the regions covered by such English records. The surname initially appears in various Swedish parish records during the late 18th century, indicating that families bearing this name were likely from rural areas where record-keeping became more thorough.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Wigren is Johan Wigren, born around 1773, whose name appears in church records in the province of Småland. His family's occupation was largely agrarian, fitting the common lifestyle in rural Sweden during that period. Another notable individual is Anders Wigren, who lived between 1810 and 1889 and served as a soldier in the Swedish army, supporting the interpretation of the name as "war-like."

The name Wigren also began to appear in emigration records from the mid-19th century when many Swedes moved to America for better opportunities. One such emigrant was Karl August Wigren, born in 1845 in Gävleborg County, who later settled in Minnesota in the United States. His contribution to the Swedish American community through local governance and church activities is well-documented.

In literature, Erik Wigren, an author born in 1923 and dying in 1988, gained recognition for his contributions to Swedish literature, particularly works that explored the country's rural traditions and historical narratives. His writings often reflected themes of resilience and connection to nature, mirroring the meaning behind his surname.

More recently, Inga-Lill Wigren, an academic born in 1955, has made significant contributions to the field of environmental science, further echoing the surname's connection to nature. Her research on sustainable farming practices has garnered international acclaim, cementing the Wigren name in modern academia.

The surname Wigren thus carries with it a rich tapestry of meanings and historical references, from rural Sweden to international contributions in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wigren

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

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

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

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