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

Wilkening, 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 Wilkening surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilkening in America

Wilkening is the 20627th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wilkening surname appeared 1,284 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 Wilkening.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wilkening 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 Wilkening

The surname Wilkening has its origins in Germany, specifically within the regions known today as Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. The name can be traced back to the medieval period, roughly around the 13th or 14th centuries. It is derived from the given name Wilhelm, which itself originates from the Germanic elements "wil," meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm," meaning "helmet" or "protection." The suffix "ning" or "en" is a diminutive or patronymic form, indicating "son of" or "descendant of," hence Wilkening essentially means "descendant of Wilhelm."

The earliest records of the surname Wilkening appear in feudal documents and regional registries from the 14th and 15th centuries. One notable reference dates back to 1378, where the name appears in the municipal archives of the town of Hanover. This region has a long-standing tradition of detailed record-keeping, often involving local nobility and significant town figures, which helps in tracing the lineage of families bearing this surname.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with this surname is Heinrich Wilkening, a landowner mentioned in 1442 in records from Osnabrück. Another early instance includes Fritz Wilkening, who served as a local council member in Bremen in 1502. These early examples indicate that the Wilkening family had established a presence in the socio-political landscape of these flourishing medieval towns.

The surname Wilkening saw various spellings throughout history based on regional dialects and the evolution of the German language. Variations including Wilken and Wilckens were not uncommon, found in marriage and baptismal records in different Germanic territories. During the 17th and 18th centuries, as migration increased within Europe, the name Wilkening spread to other parts of the continent, including what is today the Netherlands and Poland.

Notable individuals bearing the name include Johann Heinrich Wilkening, born in 1732, who was a well-regarded theologian and scholar in Göttingen. Another prominent figure, Emilie Wilkening, born in 1845 and died in 1912, was an influential figure in the women's suffrage movement in North Rhine-Westphalia. During the 20th century, Friedrich Karl Wilkening made significant contributions to the field of engineering; he was born in 1898 and played a pivotal role in the post-WWII reconstruction efforts in Germany.

Additionally, Wilhelm Wilkening, born in 1801 and died in 1867, was a noted composer and a contemporary of the more famous German Romantic composers. His works, albeit not as widely known, contributed to the rich tapestry of 19th-century German music. In the latter half of the 20th century, Hans Dieter Wilkening, born in 1932, was a respected historian whose scholarly works on medieval German towns are still referenced today.

The surname Wilkening captures a rich history woven through various facets of medieval and modern European life, chronicling contributions in theology, social movements, engineering, music, and academic scholarship. These historical footprints contribute to a deeper understanding of the name and the diverse legacies of individuals who carried it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilkening

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

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

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

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