2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wohlleben
A German surname meaning "to live well" or "to live pleasantly".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Wohlleben. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wohlleben 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Wohlleben in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wohlleben, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wohlleben
The surname Wohlleben has its origins in Germany, and it dates back to the medieval period. The name is derived from Middle High German, where "wohl" translates to "well" or "good," and "leben" means "life" or "to live." Therefore, the surname Wohlleben essentially means "to live well" or "a good life." It has connections to regions in Germany where life was prosperous and people signified well-being.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Wohlleben appear in church and local municipal records from the late Middle Ages. One of the earliest known mentions is in the 14th century in the region of Bavaria. In a 1387 document, a Hans Wohlleben is listed as a burgher (citizen) in a small town near Munich. This suggests that the name was associated with status and was likely used by families who enjoyed a certain level of prosperity.
During the 15th century, the name Wohlleben appears in tax and property records, indicating that it was relatively well-known among landowners and farmers. A notable entry from 1472 includes a Karl Wohlleben, a landowner in the Rhineland region. This suggests that the family had established itself across various parts of Germany by the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the name continued to spread throughout German-speaking territories. One prominent individual from this era was Maria Wohlleben, born in 1523, who was known for her charitable works in the city of Augsburg. She played a significant role in local community services and was mentioned in several civic documents of the time. Her influence and contributions were significant enough that she remains a noted figure in regional histories.
Moving into the 17th century, the name is found in emigrant lists as families began to move due to religious and economic reasons. One such individual, Heinrich Wohlleben, born in 1598, emigrated to the Netherlands to escape the Thirty Years' War. Records from 1624 indicate he settled in the town of Leiden, where he became involved in the textile trade, showcasing a blend of adaptability and preservation of heritage.
By the 18th century, the name had taken on variations due to regional dialects and spelling differences. In Silesia, records from 1731 pertain to a Johann Georg Wohlleben, born in 1704, who became a noted silversmith. His works are documented in several inventories and exhibit the artisan skills associated with the Wohlleben name during this period.
Throughout these centuries, the surname Wohlleben consistently appears in various forms—ranging from urban records to rural genealogies—highlighting its enduring presence and the legacy of those who carried it. The name remains a testament to the well-being and prosperous living of its bearers through history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wohlleben
Among Census respondents with the surname Wohlleben, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wohlleben 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 Wohlleben surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.8% · 5
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wohlleben
Wohlleben 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,124 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 18,124 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 1,918 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 Wohlleben 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 | #152,989 | 1.2% |
| Count | 105 | 105 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wohlleben bearers went from 105 to 105 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 1,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,989.
FAQ
Wohlleben surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wohlleben?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Wohlleben. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Wohlleben?
Wohlleben ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Wohlleben. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Wohlleben.
Has Wohlleben become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wohlleben went from 105 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Wohlleben?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wohlleben, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Wohlleben in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wohlleben appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Wohlleben (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 Wohlleben mean?
A German surname meaning "to live well" or "to live pleasantly". 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 Wohlleben (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 share the surname Wohlleben?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.