2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wolfsberger
A German surname denoting a person from the town of Wolfsbergen or translating roughly to "wolf mountain dweller".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Wolfsberger. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wolfsberger 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Wolfsberger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolfsberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wolfsberger
The surname Wolfsberger has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly from areas that are now part of modern-day Austria and Germany. The name is a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a geographic location, most commonly associated with a place called Wolfsberg, which translates to "wolf's mountain" in German.
The name Wolfsberger emerges from the combination of the German words "Wolf," referring to the animal, and "Berg," meaning mountain or hill. This indicates that the original bearers of the surname likely lived near or were associated with a place called Wolfsberg. The suffix "-er" denotes origin or residence, thereby meaning someone from Wolfsberg.
One of the earliest references to the surname Wolfsberger can be traced back to medieval records dating from the 13th century. German and Austrian parish records, dating as far back as the early 14th century, frequently listed the name, suggesting that it was relatively common in certain regions.
In 1325, a record mentions a Heinrich Wolfsberger in the Bavarian region, marking it as an old and established name by that time. Another historical mention is of Jakob Wolfsberger, documented in Austrian registers in 1478, suggesting the prevalence of the name in both personal and official records within these territories.
A notable individual from the 16th century is Lukas Wolfsberger, born in 1540 and died in 1603, an Austrian merchant known for his extensive trade routes across Central Europe. His lucrative dealings earned him recognition and respect in mercantile circles, indicating not just the commonality but also the socioeconomic prominence some bearers of this name achieved.
In the realm of academia, Johann Wolfsberger, born in 1607 and died in 1675, was a renowned scholar in the Holy Roman Empire. His contributions to medieval literature and philosophy are documented in several academic journals of the period, affording historical significance to his surname.
Another influential figure was Mathias Wolfsberger, born in 1721 and died in 1790, an artisan and guild master who played a significant role in the craftsmanship of ironworks in the Tyrolean region. Historical manuscripts from Tyrol include his name as a master craftsman, emphasizing the spread and socio-economic presence of the Wolfsberger surname over several centuries.
Historical maps and documents from the late 18th century frequently depict several settlements named Wolfsberg across German and Austrian territories, underscoring the geographic basis for the surname Wolfsberger. This widespread geographic foundation explains the numerous occurrences and records of individuals bearing the name throughout history.
The surname Wolfsberger, through its etymology and historical records, illustrates a lineage tied closely to specific geographic locations and social statuses ranging from mercantilism to academia and craftsmanship, painting a broad and intricate picture of the name’s historical footprint.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wolfsberger
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolfsberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Wolfsberger 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 Wolfsberger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wolfsberger
Wolfsberger 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
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,999 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+11 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,879 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,999 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 9,879 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 Wolfsberger 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 | #145,028 | 6.4% |
| Count | 105 | 116 | 10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wolfsberger bearers went from 105 to 116 (+10.5% change). The surname moved up 9,879 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #145,028.
FAQ
Wolfsberger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wolfsberger?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Wolfsberger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Wolfsberger?
Wolfsberger ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Wolfsberger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Wolfsberger.
Has Wolfsberger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wolfsberger went from 105 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 11 (+10.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Wolfsberger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolfsberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%). 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 Wolfsberger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wolfsberger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (4.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%). 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 Wolfsberger (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 Wolfsberger mean?
A German surname denoting a person from the town of Wolfsbergen or translating roughly to "wolf mountain dweller". 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 Wolfsberger (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 Wolfsberger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.