2000
#80,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Wiskus
A surname of Lithuanian origin meaning "eagle" or "hawk".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 320 Americans carry the last name Wiskus. That puts it at #74,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,071,107 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiskus 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
320
1 in 1,071,107
Census rank
#74,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
279
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 279 bearers of the surname Wiskus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 74639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiskus, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiskus
The surname Wiskus finds its origins in the regions of Germany, specifically during the medieval period. This name appears to have been primarily associated with the areas now known as North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. The etymology of Wiskus is likely derived from the Old German personal name Wisgo or Wischo, which itself could have roots in the Germanic element "wis" meaning wise.
Historical references to the surname Wiskus can be traced back to various medieval manuscripts and records. One of the earliest documented instances appeared in a land grant from the mid-13th century in which a Hennig Wiskus is noted as a noble land owner in the Lower Saxony region. This reflects the standing of the Wiskus family during that era, indicating their prominence in local affairs.
In 1420, another significant record mentions a Hermann Wiskus, a merchant in the Hanseatic League city of Lübeck. Merchants such as Hermann often traveled extensively, contributing to the spread of their surnames across different regions, and helping to establish the Wiskus name not just in Germany but also in neighboring countries.
The surname also appears in various parish registers from the 16th century onward. Johannes Wiskus, recorded in the baptismal registers of Cologne in 1567, is another individual of note. This suggests that the family may have continued to hold some prominence in northern German cities through the Renaissance period.
One notable individual bearing this surname was Margarethe Wiskus, born in 1642, who was known for her charitable works in her local community of Osnabrück. Her contributions were recorded in several church documents highlighting the lasting legacy the Wiskus family left on their localities through generations.
Historically, the Wiskus name often appeared in association with agricultural landowners and civic leaders. By the 18th century, the family name had spread further afield within Germany. A prominent example includes Dietrich Wiskus, who became a local magistrate in Essen around 1791. His judicial decisions and reforms were documented in legal records of that period, reflecting the family's ongoing influential role.
The surname Wiskus continues to be a testament to the historical depth and widespread influence of Germanic naming traditions. Its association with wisdom and leadership in the domains of commerce, charity, and governance underscores the significant impact individuals bearing this name had on their communities through the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiskus
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiskus, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiskus 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 Wiskus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 263
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 8
- Two or more races1.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiskus
Wiskus 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
#76,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 251
+33 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 4,279 places
2020
#74,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 279
+28 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 1,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,812 | 218 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,533 | 251 | 0.09 | +33 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 4,279 places |
| 2020 | #74,639 | 279 | 0.09 | +28 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 1,894 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 Wiskus 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 | #76,533 | #74,639 | 2.5% |
| Count | 251 | 279 | 11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiskus bearers went from 251 to 279 (+11.2% change). The surname moved up 1,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,533 to #74,639.
FAQ
Wiskus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiskus?
Name Census estimates that about 320 living Americans carry the surname Wiskus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,071,107 residents.
How common is Wiskus?
Wiskus ranks #74,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 279 people with the surname Wiskus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (320), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Wiskus.
Has Wiskus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiskus went from 251 recorded bearers to 279. That is an increase of 28 (+11.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #76,533 to #74,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiskus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiskus, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) 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 Wiskus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiskus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.9%), 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 Wiskus (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 Wiskus mean?
A surname of Lithuanian origin meaning "eagle" or "hawk". 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 Wiskus (0.09 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 Wiskus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.