2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Winsauer
A German surname derived from a placename where the first element "Win" means "pasture" or "meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Winsauer. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winsauer 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Winsauer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winsauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winsauer
Winsauer is a surname of German origin, with deep roots that trace back to the medieval period. The name is believed to originate from the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, known for their rich cultural and linguistic history. The name likely has its roots in Old High German, with the elements "win" meaning "friend" and "sauer" meaning "sour" or "swamp," suggesting a geographical connection to a wetland area or a person dwelling in or near a sour or swampy region.
The earliest recorded examples of the Winsauer name appear in local parish records from the late 15th to early 16th centuries. These records show families living in rural communities where surnames often evolved based on topographical features or occupations. One of the earliest mentions of the name Winsauer dates back to 1487 in a Bavarian church register, where a Hans Winsauer is listed as a landholder.
Over the centuries, the Winsauer surname appeared in various historical documents. In 1623, a Matthias Winsauer is recorded in the annals of a Swabian village as a local blacksmith, indicating the family's integration into different trades. By the 18th century, the name is seen in legal documents and property deeds. An example from 1754 notes a Johann Wilhelm Winsauer, a respected mill owner in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) region, known for his contributions to the local economy.
Another notable individual is Margarethe Winsauer, born in 1783 in Augsburg, Bavaria. She became well-known for her charitable work during the Napoleonic Wars, particularly in caring for wounded soldiers, earning her a mention in the town's records of honors and recognitions. This reflects the Winsauer name's ties to civic and community service.
The 19th century saw members of the Winsauer family involved in significant historical events. Karl Friedrich Winsauer, born in 1802, was a prominent figure during the German revolutions of 1848-1849. He was a vocal advocate for democratic reforms and published several pamphlets calling for greater civil liberties and unity among the German states, making him a notable figure in the intellectual history of that era.
In the artistic domain, Luise Winsauer, born in 1871 in Stuttgart, made her mark as an influential figure in the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) movement. Her works, mainly involving intricate textile designs, were exhibited in various European art galleries, underscoring the diverse talents that individuals bearing the Winsauer name possessed.
The historical trajectory of the surname Winsauer showcases a blend of geographical roots, socio-economic roles, and contributions to cultural and political life in Germany. Each individual bearing the name throughout history has added to its narrative, reflecting the changing landscapes and evolving traditions of the regions they inhabited. From local landholders and skilled tradespeople to charitable figures and reformists, the Winsauer name carries a legacy of varied and impactful lives over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winsauer
Among Census respondents with the surname Winsauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Winsauer 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 Winsauer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winsauer
Winsauer 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,781 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,781 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 2,642 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 Winsauer 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 | #152,628 | #155,270 | -1.7% |
| Count | 107 | 101 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winsauer bearers went from 107 to 101 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 2,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #155,270.
FAQ
Winsauer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winsauer?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Winsauer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Winsauer?
Winsauer ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Winsauer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Winsauer.
Has Winsauer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winsauer went from 107 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Winsauer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winsauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Winsauer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winsauer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Winsauer (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 Winsauer mean?
A German surname derived from a placename where the first element "Win" means "pasture" or "meadow". 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 Winsauer (0.03 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 Winsauer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.