2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Winsberg
An habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Weinsberg in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Winsberg. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winsberg 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Winsberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winsberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winsberg
The surname Winsberg is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots possibly tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from a geographic location, likely referring to a specific settlement or hamlet named Winsberg. In older Germanic languages, "Wins" or "Winis" can be associated with a meaning linked to friends or community, while "berg" translates to "mountain" or "hill," indicating that the original bearers of this surname may have lived near or atop a notable hill or mountain within a community.
The earliest references to this surname can be found in medieval records and manuscripts dating back to the 14th or 15th centuries. For instance, records from the 1380s detail a Johann von Winsberg, a landowner in the Rhineland region. The surname also appears in various parish registers and civic documents throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, evidencing its distribution in areas known today as Bavaria and Saxony.
Older spellings of the name include Winsperg and Winsburg, reflecting the variations in regional dialects and phonetic spellings before standardization of the German language. In some records, the name also appears as Winzberg, highlighting a common medieval practice of name adaptation based on local dialects and pronunciations.
Among notable individuals bearing the surname Winsberg, Peter Winsberg (1620-1684) was a renowned cartographer in Saxony, whose detailed maps of Central Europe were widely circulated. Another distinguished figure, Maria Winsberg (1657-1710), was a prominent writer and intellectual in Munich, whose works on natural philosophy were highly esteemed.
By the late 17th century, the Winsberg family name had spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands. Records from the time show a Bartholomeus Winsberg (1680-1735) residing in Amsterdam, where he was engaged in the lucrative spice trade, thus cementing the family's influence in commerce and trade.
In the 18th century, the name's presence extended to Eastern Europe as well. The prominent Polish chemist, Jakub Winsberg (1745-1802), made significant contributions to early industrial chemistry, becoming a member of several scientific societies and influencing the technological advancements of his time.
Overall, the surname Winsberg encompasses a rich history with deep roots in European geography, commerce, intellectual pursuits, and scientific advancements. Each iteration of its spelling and each individual bearing the name contribute to the intricate mosaic of its historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winsberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Winsberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Winsberg 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 Winsberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winsberg
Winsberg 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,487 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 4,487 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 730 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 Winsberg 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 | #149,395 | #148,665 | 0.5% |
| Count | 110 | 111 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winsberg bearers went from 110 to 111 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 730 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #148,665.
FAQ
Winsberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winsberg?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Winsberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Winsberg?
Winsberg ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Winsberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Winsberg.
Has Winsberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winsberg went from 110 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Winsberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winsberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Winsberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winsberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Winsberg (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 Winsberg mean?
An habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Weinsberg 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 Winsberg (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 Winsberg?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Winsberg is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.