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

Wolf, 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 Wolf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wolf in America

Wolf is the 474th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wolf surname appeared 70,031 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Wolf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wolf 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 Wolf

The surname Wolf is of German origin and has its roots in the Old German word "wolf" which means "wolf" in English. It likely originated as a nickname for someone with wolf-like qualities or characteristics, such as strength, ferocity, or a keen sense of hunting. The name can be traced back to the early Middle Ages in Germany.

The Wolf surname is found in various records and manuscripts throughout German history. One of the earliest known references is in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval cartulary from the Corvey Abbey in modern-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, dating back to the 9th century. The name is also present in the Chronica Regia Coloniensis, a medieval chronicle from the city of Cologne, from the 12th century.

The earliest recorded individual with the Wolf surname is thought to be Gottfried Wolf, a German monk and chronicler who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He is known for his work, the Chronica Monasterii Husburgensis, a chronicle of the Huyseburg Abbey in Saxony-Anhalt.

Another notable figure with the Wolf surname is Christian Wolf, a German philosopher and mathematician who lived from 1679 to 1754. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is considered a pioneer in the development of calculus.

In the literary world, one of the most famous individuals with the Wolf surname is Thomas Wolf, a German writer and playwright who lived from 1888 to 1963. His most renowned work is the novel "Der Untertan" (The Patrioteer), a satirical critique of German society.

The Wolf surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany. For example, the town of Wolfenbüttel in Lower Saxony is believed to have derived its name from the Old German word "Wulferesbuttle," meaning "the dwelling of the Wolves."

Other notable individuals with the Wolf surname include Hugo Wolf, an Austrian composer who lived from 1860 to 1903, and Friedrich Wolf, a German writer and communist who lived from 1888 to 1953.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wolf

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

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

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

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