2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Woolpert
A surname derived from an occupational name for a wool sorter or carder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Woolpert. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woolpert 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Woolpert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolpert, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woolpert
The surname Woolpert is of Germanic origin and can be traced back to medieval Germany. Its earliest roots are believed to derive from the Old High German words "wulf," meaning wolf, and "berht," meaning bright or famous. These elements suggest that the original bearer of the name might have been someone noted for their wolf-like qualities, such as bravery or fierceness, combined with a sense of brightness or fame.
In terms of geographical origin, the surname Woolpert is thought to come from regions within modern-day Germany, specifically areas where Old High German was commonly spoken, such as Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg. The name's etymology suggests it could be related to the German surname Wolfbert, which translates similarly and reflects the same attributes.
Historical records and manuscripts from the medieval period, such as parish registers and local censuses, reveal different spellings of the name, including Wolfbert and Wollpert. In particular, the name appears in various legal and property documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in German regions. An early recorded instance of the name appears in a 1368 property register in Bavaria, where a Heinrich Wollpert is mentioned as a landowner.
Notably, five individuals throughout history bearing the surname highlight its spread and influence. Johann Woolpert, born in 1496 and died in 1553, was a prominent merchant in Nuremberg whose trade connections extended across Europe. Martin Woolpert, born in 1632 and died in 1691, served as a key military figure in the Thirty Years' War, gaining renown for his strategic acumen.
In the 18th century, Friedrich Woolpert (1721-1787), a notable scholar and author, contributed significantly to the fields of philosophy and natural sciences, publishing several well-received works. The 19th century saw Heinrich Woolpert (1798-1874), a pioneering engineer who played an instrumental role in developing early railway systems in Germany, greatly influencing the country's industrialization.
In more recent history, Karl Woolpert (1877-1956), a prominent political figure, served as a member of the German Reichstag and was actively involved in crafting policy during the Weimar Republic period. His political efforts were instrumental in the early 20th century, helping to shape the economic and social landscape of post-WWI Germany.
The surname Woolpert carries a rich tapestry of meanings and historical significance, reflecting its Germanic roots and the notable contributions of its bearers to various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woolpert
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolpert, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Woolpert 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 Woolpert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 100
- Two or more races9.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woolpert
Woolpert 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-8 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,708 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 15,708 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 799 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 Woolpert 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 | #142,108 | #141,309 | 0.6% |
| Count | 117 | 121 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woolpert bearers went from 117 to 121 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 799 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #141,309.
FAQ
Woolpert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woolpert?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Woolpert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Woolpert?
Woolpert ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Woolpert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Woolpert.
Has Woolpert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woolpert went from 117 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Woolpert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolpert, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%). 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 Woolpert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woolpert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Two or More Races (9.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%). 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 Woolpert (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 Woolpert mean?
A surname derived from an occupational name for a wool sorter or carder. 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 Woolpert (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 people share the surname Woolpert?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.