2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wischhusen
A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Wischhusen. 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 Wischhusen 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wischhusen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Wischhusen 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 Wischhusen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wischhusen
The surname Wischhusen originates from Germany, specifically the northern regions close to the North Sea and the Baltic coasts. It dates back to the medieval period, with earliest roots likely tracing back to the 14th or 15th century. It has derivations connected to the Low German dialects spoken in the region, with possible ties to the Westphalian and Lower Saxon areas.
The name Wischhusen appears to be a compound of two elements: "wisch" and "husen." In the Low German dialect, "wisch" is connected to the Old Saxon word "wiske" or "wiski," which means "meadow" or "pasture." The second part, "husen," is derived from "haus," meaning "house" or "dwelling." Taken together, Wischhusen likely refers to a person or family from a house by the meadow.
Historical records reference the name Wischhusen in various legal documents and town registries dating back to the early 1500s. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Hamburg archives, where a Hans Wischhusen was noted as a prominent merchant in 1523. The name appears consistently in baptism, marriage, and death records in towns such as Bremen, Lübeck, and Oldenburg during the 16th century.
Near the end of the Thirty Years' War, a Johann Wischhusen played a crucial role as a local leader in the defense of the town of Lübeck, helping to negotiate terms with the Swedish forces in 1653. His contributions were documented in the Lübeck town records, showcasing the family's increasing significance in regional affairs.
In the 18th century, another notable individual bearing the surname was Anna Katharina Wischhusen, born in 1720 in Bremen, who became known for her extensive philanthropic efforts. She established several charitable institutions that provided support for widows and orphans, a legacy that continued well into the 19th century.
The surname also appears in the annals of exploratory history during the 19th century. Heinrich Wilhelm Wischhusen, born 1798, from Hamburg, embarked on various trading missions to South America. His detailed journals provide valuable insights into the trading routes and international relationships of the time, particularly between Europe and Argentina.
Lastly, the artist Karl Friedrich Wischhusen, born in 1867 in Kiel, gained recognition for his landscape paintings which often depicted the lush meadows and serene countryside typical of Northern Germany. His works were exhibited in major German cities and contributed to the cultural heritage of the region, capturing the essence of the environment that originally inspired the family's name.
Through these historical references and individual contributions, the surname Wischhusen showcases a rich and varied past rooted deeply in the geographical and cultural landscapes of northern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wischhusen
Among Census respondents with the surname Wischhusen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wischhusen 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 Wischhusen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wischhusen
Wischhusen 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,728 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 18,728 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Wischhusen 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wischhusen bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Wischhusen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wischhusen?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Wischhusen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Wischhusen?
Wischhusen 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 Wischhusen. 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 Wischhusen.
Has Wischhusen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wischhusen went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Wischhusen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wischhusen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Wischhusen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wischhusen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Wischhusen (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 Wischhusen mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name 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 Wischhusen (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 are called Wischhusen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Wischhusen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.