2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wrase
A German surname derived from the word "wrase" meaning sod or turf.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Wrase. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wrase 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Wrase in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrase, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wrase
The surname Wrase has its origins in Germany, with a history that can be traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the Middle High German word "ras" or "rasen," which could mean "ardent" or "impetuous." It may also have links to "rasch," a term used to describe someone who was quick or lively.
One of the earliest references to the surname Wrase can be found in records from the 13th century in the region that is now modern-day Germany. These early records suggest that the name was prevalent in the northern parts of the country, particularly in areas that are now part of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg.
Historical manuscripts from the late 14th century, such as tax registers and land conveyances, occasionally mention individuals bearing the surname Wrase. One of the earliest documented individuals is Heinrich Wrase, a merchant from Hamburg, whose name appears in a commercial ledger from 1397.
In the 15th century, the name continued to feature in local records, often associated with tradespeople and minor landowners. For instance, Hans Wrase was recorded as a miller in Lübeck in 1432. This period saw the name spreading to adjacent regions due to commerce and migration.
By the 16th century, the Wrase surname appeared in several official documents. One notable figure was Jürgen Wrase, a soldier who served in the Hanseatic League and was mentioned in military records from 1578. His contributions to regional defense made him a minor local hero, and his descendants continued to be prominent in the region.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Johann Wilhelm Wrase became a notable scholar and theologian, contributing several religious texts between 1740 and 1780. Born in 1715 in Rostock, Johann Wilhelm's works influenced Lutheran practices in Northern Germany until his death in 1790.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the surname saw another prominent figure, Friedrich Wrase, a painter and sculptor born in 1842 in Schwerin. His art gained recognition at local galleries, and he was known for his detailed landscape paintings until his death in 1910.
The Wrase surname has thus been carried through generations, holding a distinct place in the history and cultural fabric of Northern Germany, with early records, historical documents, and several notable individuals contributing to its rich legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wrase
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrase, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wrase 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 Wrase surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wrase
Wrase 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-5 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,279 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-15 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,612 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 12,279 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 14,612 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 Wrase 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 | #135,593 | #150,205 | -10.8% |
| Count | 124 | 109 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wrase bearers went from 124 to 109 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 14,612 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,205.
FAQ
Wrase surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wrase?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Wrase. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Wrase?
Wrase ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Wrase. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Wrase.
Has Wrase become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wrase went from 124 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Wrase?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrase, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Wrase in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wrase appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (5.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Wrase (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 Wrase mean?
A German surname derived from the word "wrase" meaning sod or turf. 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 Wrase (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 have the surname Wrase?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.