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

Wimp, 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 Wimp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wimp in America

Wimp is the 64559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wimp surname appeared 308 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 Wimp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wimp 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 Wimp

The surname Wimp is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name most likely derives from the Middle High German word "wimpe" which means a tassel or a ribbon, an ornament that was more fashionable during medieval times.

Wimp was predominantly found in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. There are historical references that indicate the name was a nickname or occupational surname, related to the making or use of decorative items, similar to the English occupation surnames like Weaver or Miller, implying those who produced or handled wimples or other cloth decorations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wimp appears in a 15th-century Bavarian tax roll, where a Heinrich Wimp is noted as a resident landowner in the year 1478. Another early reference is found in church baptism records from Swabia mentioning a Johannes Wimp dating back to 1502.

Further historical mentions include an appearance in a 16th-century legal document from Nuremberg, where a merchant named Nikolaus Wimp was involved in a dispute over trade goods in 1564. Another important figure is Georg Wimp, a noted composer during the Baroque period in Germany, who was born in 1613 and died in 1682, contributing to the region's rich musical heritage.

Crossing over into England, the surname appeared in variant spellings such as Wimpe or Wympe. The Wimp name is also found in English parish records from the 17th century, where a William Wimp was recorded as a farmer in Kent in 1645.

Among other notable individuals, Johann Wimpeler, born in 1760 in Bavaria, was a well-respected artisan known for his intricate wood carvings. Another distinguished bearer was Friedrich Wimp, a pioneering chemist in the 19th century, born in 1820, whose research in organic compounds garnered significant recognition.

The name's journey to other countries such as the United States likely occurred during the waves of German immigration in the 18th and 19th centuries, with families carrying the name to their new homes and establishing themselves across various states and communities. Despite its relative rarity, the surname Wimp provides a fascinating glimpse into the culture and occupations of its historical bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wimp

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

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

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

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