2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wilges
A surname derived from a village name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Wilges. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilges 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Wilges in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilges, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilges
The surname Wilges traces its origins to Germany, particularly around the Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg regions, known historically for their complex patterns of migration and settlement. The name is believed to first appear in written records around the 14th century, deriving from the Middle High German word "wilge" or "wilgeze," meaning willow, suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have lived near willows or were involved in their cultivation or use.
Old records indicate that variants of the name, such as Wilg, Wilgen, and Wilgis, were also present, hinting at the fluidity in spelling and pronunciation over centuries. The surname can be found in early medieval documents, local parish records, and land ownership titles, indicating its established presence in these areas.
The earliest significant mention of the surname occurs in the year 1377 in a document from the town of Heidelberg, where a Hans Wilges is recorded as a landholder and craftsperson. This suggests that the Wilges family was involved in trades and owned property, marking their standing in local society.
Another notable mention comes from the late 15th century when Maria Wilges, born in 1485, was documented in the city archives of Mannheim as the widow of a prosperous merchant. Her name appears in various transaction records, reinforcing the family's involvement in commerce.
In the 16th century, the family name appears again in records during the Protestant Reformation. A Johannes Wilges, born in 1523, is noted as a signatory on several religious petitions in the city of Worms, a key location during the Reformation. This indicates that members of the Wilges family were engaged in significant religious and social movements of the time.
By the 17th century, another prominent figure, Friedrich Wilges, born in 1611 and died in 1683, is recorded as an influential member of the Hamburg city council. His involvement in local politics illustrates the civic engagement of the Wilges family.
In the 18th century, the Wilges name surfaced in military records with Captain Karl Wilges, born in 1742, who served in the Prussian army. His service is detailed in regimental histories, highlighting the family's contribution to military affairs.
Throughout these historical references, the surname Wilges has been associated with various social, religious, and political spheres, reflecting a dynamic and multi-faceted heritage. The persistence of the name across centuries underscores its enduring legacy and the evolving roles its bearers have played within their communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilges
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilges, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilges 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 Wilges surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 96
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilges
Wilges 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,028 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15,028 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,501 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 Wilges 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 | #153,769 | #155,270 | -1.0% |
| Count | 106 | 101 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilges bearers went from 106 to 101 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,270.
FAQ
Wilges surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilges?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Wilges. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Wilges?
Wilges ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Wilges. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wilges.
Has Wilges become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilges went from 106 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilges?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilges, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Wilges in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilges appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Wilges (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 Wilges mean?
A surname derived from a village name in Germany. 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 Wilges (0.03 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 have the last name Wilges?
Find out how many people have the last name Wilges on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.