Find out how popular the last name Wisneski is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wisneski.

Wisneski, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wisneski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wisneski in America

Wisneski is the 17472nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wisneski surname appeared 1,613 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wisneski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wisneski to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wisneski

The surname Wisneski has its origins in Poland, a country with a rich history of surnames often derived from geographic locations or personal characteristics. The name dates back to at least the medieval period and is believed to be a toponymic surname, meaning it likely originated from a place name. One plausible origin is the village of Wiśniewo, which is situated in the Mazovia region of Poland. The suffix -ski is a common Polish surname ending denoting a relationship to a place or a nobility connection, and it means "of" or "belonging to."

The root of the surname, Wisn, signifies a connection to cherry trees in Polish, as the word wiśnia means "cherry." Hence, the name Wisneski can be interpreted as "of the cherry," indicating perhaps that the original bearers of the name lived near cherry orchards or were involved in cherry farming.

Historical references to the surname Wisneski are sparse, but it appears in various legal documents and church records from the 15th and 16th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances include a Jakub Wisneski mentioned in a land grant documented in 1503 in the Mazovia region. Additionally, a Marek Wisneski is noted in a 1537 court document regarding the settlement of a dispute over land boundaries.

Over time, the spelling of the surname has remained relatively stable, though minor variations such as Wisnesky or Wisnieski occasionally appear. In the 18th century, it was not uncommon for these variations to be used interchangeably depending on the record keeper’s linguistic inclination.

Among notable individuals bearing the surname, Jan Wisneski (1724-1802) was a distinguished member of the Polish nobility who played a significant role in regional politics. Another figure, Adam Wisneski (1750-1810), was a notable theologian who contributed to the religious scholarship of his time. Maria Wisneski (1783-1856), known for her work in education, founded one of the first schools for girls in the Mazovia region.

In the 19th century, an influx of Polish immigrants brought the Wisneski surname to the Americas, where it adapted to various new environments. One such immigrant, Antoni Wisneski (1821-1890), emigrated to the United States in 1854 and became well known for his contributions to the Polish-American community in Chicago. Another figure, Henryk Wisneski (1873-1938), became a prominent industrialist in Russia, contributing significantly to the development of textile manufacturing in the early 20th century.

Overall, the surname Wisneski has a deep connection to Polish history and culture, preserving its origins in geography and linguistics while adapting to diverse contexts over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wisneski

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wisneski.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wisneski was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wisneski has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wisneski was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wisneski, please contact us.

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