2000
#31,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 701
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Wirkus
A surname suggesting someone worked with plants, trees, or herbs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 790 Americans carry the last name Wirkus. That puts it at #35,228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 433,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wirkus 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
790
1 in 433,866
Census rank
#35,228
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
689
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 689 bearers of the surname Wirkus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wirkus
The surname Wirkus is believed to have its origins in Poland, specifically in regions that were heavily influenced by Germanic cultures. The name dates back to the medieval period, emerging in areas that were under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, encompassing parts of modern-day Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. The name is likely derived from the Old Germanic personal name Wirko or Wiricus, with “Wirk-” potentially stemming from the Germanic root word referring to work or activity, signifying someone who was industrious or held a specific occupational role.
One of the earliest references to the surname Wirkus can be traced to historical records and manuscripts from the 16th century. Such documents frequently listed surnames in legal transactions, land grants, and local censuses. For instance, a notable mention appears in a 1594 Polish ledger which recorded a Jan Wirkus as a significant landowner. This points to the surname's presence among the gentry and possibly its association with landholding and agriculture.
The name Wirkus continued to appear in various records through the centuries. In the 18th century, Adam Wirkus, born in 1712 and known for his service in local administration in Pomerania (a region straddling modern-day Poland and Germany), further signifies the name's geographic distribution and social standing. Another historical figure, Hieronim Wirkus, who lived from 1750 to 1827, gained recognition for his work in the Polish-Lithuanian military and his contributions to cartography.
Kazimierz Wirkus, a scholar and historian born in 1835, contributed to the understanding of medieval Polish history and is yet another notable individual bearing this surname. His extensive research and publications brought greater recognition to the name in academic circles during the late 19th century.
In the early 20th century, Arthur Wirkus, born in 1895, achieved prominence as a respected engineer and inventor in Poland. His innovations in mechanical engineering made significant impacts on industrial processes and development during that era. Lastly, Wanda Wirkus, an opera singer born in 1879, captivated audiences with her performances across European opera houses, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of performing arts.
The surname Wirkus, thus, has a rich historical tapestry woven through centuries of European history, marked by its association with industriousness, land ownership, public service, academia, engineering, and the arts, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wirkus
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wirkus 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 Wirkus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 631
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 35
- Two or more races2.0% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wirkus
Wirkus 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
#32,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 706
+5 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,291 places
2020
#35,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 689
-17 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 2,666 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,271 | 701 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,562 | 706 | 0.24 | +5 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 1,291 places |
| 2020 | #35,228 | 689 | 0.23 | -17 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 2,666 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 Wirkus 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 | #32,562 | #35,228 | -8.2% |
| Count | 706 | 689 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.23 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wirkus bearers went from 706 to 689 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 2,666 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,562 to #35,228.
FAQ
Wirkus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wirkus?
Name Census estimates that about 790 living Americans carry the surname Wirkus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 433,866 residents.
How common is Wirkus?
Wirkus ranks #35,228 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 689 people with the surname Wirkus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (790), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Wirkus.
Has Wirkus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wirkus went from 706 recorded bearers to 689. That is a decrease of 17 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,562 to #35,228.
What does the Census say about the background of Wirkus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wirkus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (631 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wirkus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wirkus (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 Wirkus mean?
A surname suggesting someone worked with plants, trees, or herbs. 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 Wirkus (0.23 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 have the last name Wirkus?
See how common the surname Wirkus is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.