2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Woleben
A German surname derived from a geographical name, likely referring to a person from a specific place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Woleben. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woleben 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Woleben in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woleben, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woleben
The surname Woleben likely has its origins in Germany, specifically within the regions that were formerly part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name appears to date back to at least the medieval period, a time when many surnames were being established in Europe, generally between the 11th and 15th centuries. Woleben or a variant thereof could have meant "residing near a wooded hill" or "living well," derived from older German words with similar meanings.
Historically, surnames often adapted over time due to the linguistic evolution and regional dialects. Woleben may have roots related to similar names such as Wolffben or Wolleben, indicating slight spelling variations seen in different locales or family branches. The initial elements "Wol" might derive from Old High German "wulf," meaning wolf, while "eben" could relate to a place name or geographic feature, such as a flat terrain.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Woleben appears in the annals of 13th-century Germany. Historical records from Trier, a city with a significant population in the medieval period, mention a Henricus de Woleben in a document from 1278, indicating a person of some importance.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Woleben name have been documented. Johann Woleben, born around 1570 and a noted scholar in Heidelberg, contributed significantly to theological writings of his time. Additionally, records from the 17th century mention a merchant named Karl Woleben, operating in Hamburg, attesting to the name's spread and prominence in urban centers engaged in trade.
In the late 18th century, a German painter by the name of Friedrich Woleben (1759–1813) gained recognition for his landscapes, contributing to the cultural footprint of the surname. A century later, in the 19th century, a prominent educator and philosopher named Elisa Woleben, born in 1835, made notable contributions to educational reforms in Prussia.
Finally, during the early 20th century, military records from World War I mention a Captain Wilhelm Woleben, born in 1878, who served in the Imperial German Army and received commendations for his service. His contributions were significant enough to be noted in several military archives.
The Woleben surname, while perhaps not exceedingly common, thus reflects a rich tapestry of historical significance, geographic origins, and notable contributions across the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woleben
Among Census respondents with the surname Woleben, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Woleben 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 Woleben surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woleben
Woleben 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,392 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,490 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,392 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 8,490 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 Woleben 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 | #143,149 | #151,639 | -5.9% |
| Count | 116 | 107 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woleben bearers went from 116 to 107 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 8,490 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #151,639.
FAQ
Woleben surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woleben?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Woleben. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Woleben?
Woleben ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Woleben. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Woleben.
Has Woleben become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woleben went from 116 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Woleben?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woleben, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Woleben in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woleben appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Woleben (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 Woleben mean?
A German surname derived from a geographical name, likely referring to a person from a specific place. 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 Woleben (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 Americans have the surname Woleben?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.