2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Winesburg
An English locational surname referring to someone from Winesburg or a similar location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Winesburg. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winesburg 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Winesburg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winesburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.3%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winesburg
The surname Winesburg has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Medieval period. Deriving from the German words "wein", meaning "wine", and "burg", meaning "fortress" or "castle", Winesburg likely referred to a person who lived near or worked at a fort or castle associated with wine production or vineyards. Regions known for their wine production, such as Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria, are probable places of origin.
Historical references to the surname Winesburg are relatively scarce, but there are records from the Middle Ages that bear witness to similar surnames in various spellings, such as "Weinberg" and "Windenburg". These variations hint at the common practice of naming individuals based on geographic features or landmarks.
The earliest documented instance of the name in a recognizable form appears in a 14th-century manuscript from the Rhineland, where a noble known as Johannes von Winesburg was mentioned around 1373. This record places the surname within the nexus of wine-producing regions and their associated feudal structures.
A notable figure in religious history is Matthias Winesburg, a cleric born in 1479 and known for his writings and leadership in the local church. His works, primarily in Latin, survive in some ecclesiastical records to this day, providing a glimpse into the theological and social issues of his time.
During the 17th century, Hans Winesburg, born in 1602, became known for his significant contributions to the agrarian development of his region. His innovative methods in vineyard management were recorded in a local agricultural compendium, showcasing the longstanding connection of the surname to viticulture.
Going into the 18th century, Bertha Winesburg, born in 1728, emerged as a prominent figure in the cultural scene of her community. Her patronage of the arts, especially music and theatre, garnered her recognition in various local histories, illustrating the cultural expansion of individuals bearing the surname.
In the 19th century, Johann Winesburg, born in 1797, rose to political prominence. He is noted for his role in the local council of his town, advocating for educational reforms and improving local infrastructure. His contributions are documented in municipal records from the mid-19th century.
Finally, reaching the early 20th century, Clara Winesburg, born in 1886, became known as a pioneering educator and reformist. Her efforts in promoting educational opportunities for women led to her recognition in various educational journals of the time, highlighting the social impact made by those with the Winesburg name.
The surname Winesburg has evolved through centuries, maintaining its connection to the wine-producing regions of Germany and its notable bearers' influence in the realms of agriculture, religion, politics, and education. The historical journey of this name reveals a rich tapestry of geographic, cultural, and social threads intertwined with the legacy of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winesburg
Among Census respondents with the surname Winesburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.3%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Winesburg 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 Winesburg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native9.3% · 10
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winesburg
Winesburg 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,431 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,431 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 11,707 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 Winesburg 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 | #139,228 | #150,935 | -8.4% |
| Count | 120 | 108 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winesburg bearers went from 120 to 108 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 11,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #150,935.
FAQ
Winesburg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winesburg?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Winesburg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Winesburg?
Winesburg ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Winesburg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Winesburg.
Has Winesburg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winesburg went from 120 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Winesburg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winesburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.3%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Winesburg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winesburg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (9.3%), Black (0.9%). 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 Winesburg (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 Winesburg mean?
An English locational surname referring to someone from Winesburg or a similar location. 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 Winesburg (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 many people share the surname Winesburg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.