2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Windsheimer
A surname indicating someone from the town of Windsheim in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Windsheimer. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Windsheimer 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Windsheimer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Windsheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Windsheimer
The surname Windsheimer has its origins rooted in the German regions, primarily during the medieval period. It is derived from the geographic and linguistic aspects of the German language, specifically indicating a connection to a place called Windsheim. The town of Bad Windsheim in Bavaria is a significant origin point, where "Wind" refers to wind and "Heim" means home or settlement. Thus, the surname can be interpreted as "home of the wind" or "windy settlement."
The earliest records of the Windsheimer surname can be traced back to the late Middle Ages. One of the first references is found in the 14th-century tax records of the Franconian region in Germany. In 1375, a Johann Windsheimer appeared in legal documents pertaining to land ownership in the area of present-day Bad Windsheim, indicating the family’s early establishment and status within the community.
Historical references to the surname can also be found in church records. For instance, the Windsheimer name appears in baptismal registers of the St. Kilian’s Church in Würzburg, dating from the 15th century. These records highlight the family’s involvement in local religious and social affairs, marking their prominence in these communities.
One notable individual with the surname Windsheimer was Hans Windsheimer, a scholar and theologian born in 1580 and deceased in 1645. He was recognized for his contributions to the academic discourse of the period, particularly within the University of Heidelberg, where he taught theology.
In the 17th century, another eminent figure, Maria Windsheimer, born in 1610 and deceased in 1675, made significant contributions to healthcare as a midwife in the Bavarian region. Her extensive records in medical manuscripts of that era provide a glimpse into the practices and societal roles of women named Windsheimer during that time.
The name continued to appear throughout history with individuals like Friedrich Windsheimer, born in 1702 and deceased in 1765, who was a notable artisan and contributed to architectural projects in the city of Nuremberg. His works include several baroque-inspired buildings that still stand today.
In the 19th century, Ludwig Windsheimer, born in 1820 and deceased in 1892, emerged as an influential musician and composer. His works were embraced by the German bourgeoisie, and many of his compositions are preserved in the archives of the Berlin State Library.
Throughout its history, the Windsheimer surname has been associated with various professions, from academics and artisans to healthcare and music, reflecting the diverse contributions of this family to German culture and history. The name’s origins in the windy settlements of Bavaria continue to echo through the annals of European historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Windsheimer
Among Census respondents with the surname Windsheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Windsheimer 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 Windsheimer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Windsheimer
Windsheimer 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+18 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,241 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-18 bearers (-13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,493 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 6,241 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.2%) | Down 17,493 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 Windsheimer 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 | #126,018 | #143,511 | -13.9% |
| Count | 136 | 118 | -13.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Windsheimer bearers went from 136 to 118 (-13.2% change). The surname moved down 17,493 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #143,511.
FAQ
Windsheimer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Windsheimer?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Windsheimer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Windsheimer?
Windsheimer ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Windsheimer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Windsheimer.
Has Windsheimer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Windsheimer went from 136 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Windsheimer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Windsheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Windsheimer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Windsheimer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (2.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Windsheimer (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 Windsheimer mean?
A surname indicating someone from the town of Windsheim 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 Windsheimer (0.04 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 common is the surname Windsheimer?
You can see how many people have the surname Windsheimer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.