2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wizeman
A fictitious surname perhaps derived from the phrase "wise man".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Wizeman. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wizeman 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Wizeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wizeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wizeman
The surname Wizeman is believed to have originated in Northern Europe, with its earliest roots traceable to the medieval period. Around the 12th and 13th centuries, surnames began to be used more commonly, and the name likely emerged in the regions encompassing modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. The name is thought to be derived from Old High German terms, combining possibly "wiza," meaning wise or knowledgeable, and "man," meaning person. This combination would suggest that the name Wizeman was originally used to describe someone considered wise or judicious.
One of the earliest references to similar names can be found in the 13th-century manuscripts from the Hanseatic League cities, a significant historical and commercial alliance in Northern Europe. Such records reveal that the predecessors to the modern surname could have been documented among merchants and scholars. For example, a 1268 document from Hamburg mentions a Johan Wizemann, a local magistrate revered for his judicial acumen.
The name experienced various spellings and adaptations as it spread throughout Europe. In the 14th century, the name appeared in Dutch records as Wijsman. One notable figure from this period was Arnold Wijsman, a prominent Dutch scholar born in 1358, known for his works in natural philosophy. By the 15th century, the German version of the surname had solidified as Weisemann, appearing in tax registers and civic records in cities like Cologne and Frankfurt.
Berthold Wizeman, born in 1486, was an eminent figure in Cologne, renowned for his contributions to early humanist thought and for his extensive Latin translations. Another significant individual was Greta Weiseman, born in 1534, who was one of the earliest female printers and publishers in Bremen, thus contributing to the dissemination of Reformation texts.
In the 17th century, the name made its way to Britain through various waves of German and Dutch immigrants, typically preserving the form Wizeman and sometimes rendered as Wisman. Johann Michael Wizeman, a notable figure born in 1622 in Heidelberg, later moved to London. He became well-known in the fields of medicine and alchemy, serving as a physician to several noble families.
By the 18th century, the surname crossed into North America with the wave of European migration. A notable example is Heinrich Wizeman, born in 1704, who was among the settlers in Pennsylvania. Documented in early colonial records, Heinrich contributed to the town of Germantown as a respected blacksmith and community leader, and his descendants continued to hold the surname in various forms across the United States.
Over centuries, the surname Wizeman has maintained its association with wisdom and knowledge, spanning across different regions and professions, and embedding itself in the rich historical tapestry of Europe and later, America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wizeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Wizeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wizeman 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 Wizeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 107
- Two or more races7.5% · 9
- Black or African American3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wizeman
Wizeman appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+15 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 12,858 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 Wizeman 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 | #154,907 | #142,049 | 8.3% |
| Count | 105 | 120 | 14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wizeman bearers went from 105 to 120 (+14.3% change). The surname moved up 12,858 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #142,049.
FAQ
Wizeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wizeman?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Wizeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Wizeman?
Wizeman ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Wizeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Wizeman.
Has Wizeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wizeman went from 105 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 15 (+14.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Wizeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wizeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Wizeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wizeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Black (3.3%). 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 Wizeman (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 Wizeman mean?
A fictitious surname perhaps derived from the phrase "wise man". 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 Wizeman (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 have the last name Wizeman?
See how common the surname Wizeman is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.