2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Wubbels
A Dutch surname derived from a nickname meaning "chubby" or "plump".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Wubbels. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wubbels 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Wubbels in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wubbels, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wubbels
The surname Wubbels has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the eastern regions of the country, particularly the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. The name Wubbels is a patronymic surname, indicating it was derived from the first name of an ancestor. Specifically, it is derived from the personal name Wubbe, which was a common medieval name in this region of the Netherlands.
The personal name Wubbe itself has Germanic roots. It is thought to be a diminutive form of the name Wulf, which means "wolf" in Old High German. This suggests that the name Wubbels may have originally been used to denote "son of Wubbe," indicating descent from a person named Wubbe. The suffix -els is a diminutive or patronymic indicator used in Dutch surnames, suggesting lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wubbels dates back to the 15th century. Old church records from the region of Gelderland show a Jan Wubbels living in the area around 1475. In 1560, a document recorded the name Willem Wubbels as a landowner in Overijssel, indicating the family's prominence in these regions.
Throughout history, the surname Wubbels has appeared in various historical documents, including land registers, tax records, and wills. An example includes a 1623 will in which a Hendrik Wubbels bequeathed his property to his children in the town of Deventer. Historical references also include a merchant named Jacobus Wubbels, born in 1702, who was known for his trade activities between the Netherlands and the Hanseatic cities.
In the 19th century, the surname Wubbels continued to be recorded in various documents, with notable figures such as Jan Hendrik Wubbels, born in 1824, who served as a local official in the town of Zutphen. His contributions to the community were recorded in municipal records of the time.
Another notable individual bearing the surname was Geertruida Wubbels, born in 1876, who became known for her philanthropic efforts in Amsterdam, contributing significantly to the establishment of several charitable institutions in the early 20th century.
Overall, the surname Wubbels has a rich history tied to the Netherlands, with roots tracing back to Germanic origins. Its presence in historical records over several centuries highlights the enduring legacy of the name and its bearers through various periods in Dutch history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wubbels
Among Census respondents with the surname Wubbels, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wubbels 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 Wubbels surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 86
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wubbels
Wubbels appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Wubbels 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wubbels bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Wubbels surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wubbels?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Wubbels. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Wubbels?
Wubbels ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Wubbels. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wubbels.
Has Wubbels become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wubbels went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Wubbels?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wubbels, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Wubbels in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wubbels appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Two or More Races (6.7%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Wubbels (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 Wubbels mean?
A Dutch surname derived from a nickname meaning "chubby" or "plump". 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 Wubbels (0.03 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 Wubbels?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.