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

Wolff, 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 Wolff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wolff in America

Wolff is the 1650th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wolff surname appeared 21,815 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Wolff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wolff 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 Wolff

The surname Wolff originates from Germany, where it was derived from the Old German word "wolf", meaning the wild animal. It emerged as a surname during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

Wolff was a common surname in various regions of Germany, particularly in northern and central areas. It is believed to have been originally an occupational name or a nickname referring to someone with wolf-like characteristics or behavior. In some cases, it may have also been given to someone who lived near a place associated with wolves.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wolff can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a certain Hainricus Wolph was mentioned in a document dated 1285. Another early record comes from the city of Regensburg, where a man named Chunradus Wolff was documented in 1315.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname appeared in various historical records and documents across Germany. For example, a certain Heinrich Wolff was mentioned in the records of the city of Nuremberg in 1363. In the city of Cologne, a man named Johan Wolff was recorded in 1447.

Some notable individuals with the surname Wolff throughout history include:

1. Christian Wolff (1679-1754), a German philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and epistemology.

2. Kaspar Friedrich Wolff (1733-1794), a German anatomist and physiologist who is considered a pioneer in the study of embryology.

3. Wilhelm Wolff (1809-1864), a German composer and conductor who composed several operas and other works.

4. Albert Wolff (1835-1891), a French journalist and writer who was a prominent figure in Parisian literary circles during the 19th century.

5. Max Wolff (1856-1924), a German painter and etcher who was known for his landscape and architectural works.

The surname Wolff also had variations in spelling and regional variations, such as Wolfe, Wolf, and Wulff, among others. Additionally, some place names in Germany, such as Wolfenbüttel and Wolfsburg, may have been derived from or influenced by the surname Wolff.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wolff

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

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

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

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