2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wisda
A surname of German origin meaning "meadow" or "pasture."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Wisda. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wisda 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Wisda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wisda, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wisda
The surname Wisda has intriguing origins that trace back to Central Europe, notably within the regions that comprise modern-day Germany. Rooted in the historical and linguistic context of the area, Wisda is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, approximately between the 12th and 14th centuries.
Etymologically, the name Wisda is derived from the Middle High German word "weise," which means meadow or pasture, and the suffix "da," which suggests a locational or descriptive term. This indicates that the surname may have originally referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a meadow. Variants such as Wisde and Wisede are also observed in older texts, hinting at regional dialectical influences and spelling variations over time.
The earliest records of the surname can be found in land grant documents and local registers during the late medieval period. One of the first documented mentions was in a 1376 tax record from Bavaria, where a Hans Wisda was listed as a landowner in a rural village. This suggests that the family was well-established and possibly involved in agrarian practices.
In the 15th century, the name appears in church records in the Saxony region. A notable figure, Johann Wisda, born in 1432 and deceased in 1498, served as a deacon in the local parish of Dresden. His prominence within the church community signifies the family's standing and their integration into civic life.
Moving into the Renaissance period, another historical figure named Dietrich Wisda, born in 1501 in Thuringia and died in 1559, was a known stonemason whose works are referenced in the restoration documents of several cathedrals. His contributions to Gothic architecture are still studied by historians today.
In the early 17th century, the name Wisda crossed borders into neighboring areas. Maria Elisabeth Wisda, born in 1625 and died in 1692, was recognized as part of the Hanseatic merchant class in Lübeck, playing a significant role in the economic exchanges of the time.
Further migration patterns in the 18th century saw the Wisda surname appearing in Polish and Czech territories, adapting to local languages and customs. An important figure in this period was Frederich Wisda, born in 1743 and deceased in 1798, who served as a military officer in the Prussian army and was known for his tactical innovations during the Silesian Wars.
The Wisda surname thus reflects a rich tapestry of European history, marked by agrarian roots, civic and ecclesiastical contributions, architectural achievements, and military service. Historical documents underscore the widespread presence and evolving nature of the name across different regions and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wisda
Among Census respondents with the surname Wisda, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wisda 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 Wisda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wisda
Wisda 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+8 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 1,855 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-18 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 1,855 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 17,534 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 Wisda 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 | #127,494 | #145,028 | -13.8% |
| Count | 134 | 116 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wisda bearers went from 134 to 116 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 17,534 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #145,028.
FAQ
Wisda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wisda?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Wisda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Wisda?
Wisda ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Wisda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Wisda.
Has Wisda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wisda went from 134 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Wisda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wisda, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) 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 Wisda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wisda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (2.6%), 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 Wisda (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 Wisda mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "meadow" or "pasture." 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 Wisda (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 Americans have the surname Wisda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.