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

Woelfel, 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 Woelfel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woelfel in America

Woelfel is the 16696th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woelfel surname appeared 1,715 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 Woelfel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woelfel 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 Woelfel

The surname Woelfel has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the medieval period, specifically around the 12th to 14th centuries. The name appears prominently in regions such as Bavaria and Saxony. It is derived from the Old High German word "wolf," which relates to the animal wolf. The diminutive suffix “-el” or "-le" means "little" or "young," making Woelfel roughly translate to "little wolf" or "young wolf." This type of name was often given as a nickname or a term of endearment, possibly referring to the characteristics of the wolf such as bravery or fierceness.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Woelfel can be seen in parish records, tax lists, and other administrative documents from the 14th century. One of the early references to the name appears in a 1374 Bavarian tax record where a Hans Woelfel is mentioned. Such documents serve as one of the primary sources of genealogical information, aiding in piecing together the spread and evolution of surnames.

In the 16th century, the name appears again in records in Saxony. A known bearer of the name during this period is Georg Woelfel, born in 1532, who was a prominent figure in the local textile industry. Another historically significant individual is Johann Woelfel, a Lutheran pastor born in 1598, who contributed to the religious reforms of the time.

Moving further into history, the 18th century provides another notable individual, Nikolaus Woelfel, a German clockmaker born in 1745. His craftsmanship and innovative designs left a significant mark on the clockmaking industry of his time. Documentation from this period highlights how the name continued to be associated with skilled trades and professions.

By the 19th century, the name appears in emigration records, particularly those heading towards the United States. One such immigrant was Friedrich Woelfel, born in 1821 in Bavaria, who settled in Wisconsin and became a successful farmer. His descendants contributed to the establishment of the German-American community in the region, exemplifying the spread of the surname beyond European borders.

The surname Woelfel has undergone variations in spelling depending on the region and time period. Early documents show spellings such as Welfel, Wölfel, and Woelffel. These variations reflect the regional dialects and orthographic practices of historical Germany. Despite these changes, the core meaning related to the wolf has remained consistent. Each documented individual with the surname Woelfel adds a layer of understanding about the name's rich history and evolution across centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woelfel

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

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 Woelfel 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 Woelfel 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 Woelfel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!