2000
#9,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Wilken
Derived from a diminutive of the German name Willehelm, meaning "resolute protection."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,572 Americans carry the last name Wilken. That puts it at #9,893 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,956 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilken 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wilken with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,956
Census rank
#9,893
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,115 bearers of the surname Wilken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9893rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilken
The surname WILKEN is of German origin, derived from the personal name Wilhelm, which itself is a Germanic compound name composed of the elements "wil" meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection." The name WILKEN likely emerged as a diminutive or patronymic form of Wilhelm, indicating "son of Wilhelm."
The earliest recorded instances of the name WILKEN can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Saxony and Lower Saxony. It is believed that the name may have originated as a nickname or descriptive surname, referring to someone who was known for their strong will or determination, or perhaps someone who was a skilled warrior or protector.
In the 13th century, the name WILKEN appeared in several medieval records and chronicles, including the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of documents from the region of Anhalt in central Germany. This suggests that the name was well-established and widespread throughout various German territories during this period.
One notable bearer of the WILKEN surname was Johann Wilken, a German historian and author who lived from 1766 to 1819. He is best known for his work on the history of the Crusades and his contributions to the study of medieval European history.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Wilken, a German politician and journalist who lived from 1827 to 1900. He served as a member of the Reichstag (German parliament) and was actively involved in the political and social movements of his time.
In the realm of literature, the novelist and playwright Wilken Weißhaar (1908-1996) gained recognition for his works exploring themes of social justice and the working-class experience in Germany.
The name WILKEN has also been associated with several place names in Germany, such as Wilkenburg, a town in Lower Saxony, and Wilken, a district in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia. These place names may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname in those regions.
While the WILKEN surname is predominantly found in Germany and among German-speaking communities, it has also been carried by individuals of German descent in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant German immigration, such as the United States and Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilken
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilken 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 Wilken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,867
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 99
- Two or more races3.0% · 93
- Black or African American1.0% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilken
Wilken 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
#9,642
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,366
+202 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 217 places
2020
#9,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,115
-251 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 251 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,425 | 3,164 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,642 | 3,366 | 1.14 | +202 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 217 places |
| 2020 | #9,893 | 3,115 | 1.04 | -251 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 251 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 Wilken 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 | #9,642 | #9,893 | -2.6% |
| Count | 3,366 | 3,115 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.04 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilken bearers went from 3,366 to 3,115 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 251 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,642 to #9,893.
FAQ
Wilken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilken?
Name Census estimates that about 3,572 living Americans carry the surname Wilken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,956 residents.
How common is Wilken?
Wilken ranks #9,893 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,115 people with the surname Wilken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,572), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wilken.
Has Wilken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilken went from 3,366 recorded bearers to 3,115. That is a decrease of 251 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,642 to #9,893.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Wilken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,867 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Wilken (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 Wilken mean?
Derived from a diminutive of the German name Willehelm, meaning "resolute protection." 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 Wilken (1.04 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 Wilken?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.