Wollenberg last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wollenberg

A toponymic surname referring to one from Wollenberg, Germany.

Wollenberg, 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 Wollenberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wollenberg in America

Wollenberg is the 26654th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wollenberg surname appeared 914 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wollenberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wollenberg 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 26654 25547 4.24%
Count 914 908 0.66%
Proportion per 100k 0.31 0.34 -9.23%

The history of the last name Wollenberg

The surname Wollenberg has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically within the territories that now form modern-day Germany. The name is primarily derived from two German words: "Wolle," meaning wool, and "Berg," meaning mountain or hill. As a toponymic surname, it indicates a geographical feature, likely referring to a place where wool was produced or traded near a hill or mountain.

Early records of the Wollenberg name trace back to medieval Germany, where it appears in various forms in legal and property documents. One of the earliest references is found in a 13th-century manuscript mentioning a Jan von Wollenberg, a minor noble in the Thuringia region. This suggests the name was associated with certain localities or estates in central Germany.

The surname appears in different historical documents with slight variations in spelling, such as Wollinberg and Wollingberg. These variations were often due to regional dialects and the phonetic transcription practices of the time. By the 16th century, records such as the Wurzburg tax registers included individuals named Wollenberg, indicating the spread of the name across different parts of the Holy Roman Empire.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname is Johann Ludwig Wollenberg, a Lutheran theologian born in 1652 and died in 1701. He was known for his writings and contributions to the religious discourse of his time. Another significant figure is Friedrich Wollenberg, a Prussian officer born in 1789 who served in the Napoleonic Wars, displaying exceptional military skill.

In the arts, Clara Wollenberg, born in 1821 and passed in 1897, gained recognition as a talented pianist in the romantic era, performing across various European capitals. She held concerts that contributed to the cultural landscape of the 19th century.

The surname also appears in the academic sphere with Eduard Wollenberg, a historian born in 1875, who specialized in medieval studies and produced important works on the history of the Holy Roman Empire before his death in 1945.

During the 20th century, Karl Wollenberg, born in 1909, emerged as an influential figure in the field of chemistry. His research in organic chemistry has had lasting impacts on industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Karl continued his work until his death in 1978, leaving behind a legacy of scientific accomplishment.

Throughout history, the Wollenberg surname has been associated with various professional fields and has borne witness to the linguistic and cultural evolution within German-speaking regions. The name’s endurance and adaptation over centuries underscore its historical significance and the diverse achievements of those who have carried it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wollenberg

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

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 Wollenberg was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.48% 891
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.09% 10
Hispanic Origin 0.98% 9

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 Wollenberg has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.48% 98.68% -1.22%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.09% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 0.98% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Wollenberg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wollenberg-surname-popularity/.

"Wollenberg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wollenberg-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Wollenberg last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/wollenberg-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.