2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wordelman
A surname derived from a Germanic word meaning "ruler of words" or "one who rules with words".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Wordelman. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wordelman 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Wordelman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wordelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wordelman
The surname Wordelman finds its origins in the Low Countries, particularly in regions that are now part of modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. The name can be traced back to the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. Flemish and Dutch dialects influence the etymology of the name, which likely draws from the Old Dutch words "woord" meaning "word" and "man" meaning "man." The composite term Wordelman could have denoted a person who was a scholar, scribe, or perhaps a storyteller.
The initial documentation of the name appears to be relatively sparse, but early iterations can be found in guild records and town charters from the Flemish region. For example, a Flemish manuscript dated 1375 mentions a Petrus Wordelman, a scribe employed by a local council in Bruges. This suggests that the name was associated with individuals involved in written or spoken word professions.
Another historical reference can be found in the tax records of the city of Ghent from 1422, where an Arnoldus Wordelman is listed as a merchant dealing in manuscripts and books. Arnoldus' prominence in these records implies a successful and well-respected business, reinforcing the idea that the name was linked to the literacy and scholarly professions in its early use.
Moving into the 16th century, Johan Wordelman, born in 1503 and died in 1577, was a notable figure in Antwerp. He was a printer and publisher known for producing some of the earliest editions of classical Latin texts. His work contributed significantly to the intellectual environment of the Renaissance in the Low Countries.
In the late 17th century, records from Amsterdam mention Maria Wordelman, born in 1648 and passed away in 1710. She was an artist and calligrapher, celebrated for her intricate and decorative script, which found a place in many important family documents and artworks of the period. Her work exemplifies the ongoing association of the Wordelman name with the written word and artistic expression.
The Wordelman surname makes another notable appearance with Hendrik Wordelman, born in 1791 and deceased in 1859, a linguist and educator in Utrecht. Deeply involved in developing and reforming educational systems, Hendrik pushed for more accessible public education, underscoring the progressive and scholarly tradition inherent in the family name.
By the turn of the 20th century, the name had somewhat diminished in its scholarly association as families began to diversify into other professions. Despite this, the historical connotations and origins rooted in literacy and the arts remained a proud legacy for those bearing the name Wordelman.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wordelman
Among Census respondents with the surname Wordelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wordelman 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 Wordelman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wordelman
Wordelman 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+20 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-20 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 7,379 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 18,985 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 Wordelman 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 | #123,064 | #142,049 | -15.4% |
| Count | 140 | 120 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wordelman bearers went from 140 to 120 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 18,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #142,049.
FAQ
Wordelman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wordelman?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Wordelman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Wordelman?
Wordelman ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Wordelman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Wordelman.
Has Wordelman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wordelman went from 140 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Wordelman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wordelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wordelman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wordelman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wordelman (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 Wordelman mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic word meaning "ruler of words" or "one who rules with words". 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 Wordelman (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 are called Wordelman?
See how many people have the surname Wordelman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.