2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wuehler
An occupational surname derived from the German word "wühlen" meaning to dig or rummage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Wuehler. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wuehler 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Wuehler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wuehler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wuehler
The surname Wuehler has its roots in Germany, dating back to the late medieval period. The name is believed to have originated from the regions of Bavaria and Rhineland, where documented references to similar surnames appeared as early as the 14th century. The name itself is thought to derive from the Middle High German word "wühlen," meaning "to dig" or "to burrow," which was likely a reference to someone engaged in digging, perhaps a miner or a farmer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to a Hans Wueler, documented in a manuscript dating to 1376 in the Bavarian region. The variations in spelling, including Wühler and Woller, underscore the fluidity of surname orthography during that period. These variations were often due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling.
In the 15th century, a Johann Wuehler was recorded in the annals of Rhineland as a notable landowner, contributing to local agricultural developments. Over time, families bearing the Wuehler name became prominent in various trades and crafts, particularly in mining, owing to the etymological roots of the name.
The name appears in several important historical documents, such as tax records and land grants, reflecting the social and economic status of the Wuehler families. In 1521, a document from Württemberg mentions a Heinrich Wuhler as a witness in a land dispute, highlighting the legal engagements of individuals with this surname.
During the 17th century, Margarethe Wuehler, born in 1604, was notable for her contributions to the local herbal medicine practices in Bavaria. Her extensive knowledge and written herbal remedies were passed down and respected among local communities.
In the 18th century, Georg Wuehler, born in 1710, emerged as a recognized silversmith in the Frankfurt area. His works, characterized by intricate designs and craftsmanship, gained him considerable fame and many of his pieces are now displayed in various museums.
The surname Wuehler continues to bear historical significance, with roots deep in the agricultural and mining communities of medieval and early modern Germany. Its legacy is seen in the contributions of individuals who carried the name, from landowners and witnesses to artisans and healers, illustrating the diverse paths taken by the descendants of this surname through history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wuehler
Among Census respondents with the surname Wuehler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wuehler 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 Wuehler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wuehler
Wuehler 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,300 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,900 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 2,300 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,900 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 Wuehler 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 | #149,395 | #146,495 | 1.9% |
| Count | 110 | 114 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wuehler bearers went from 110 to 114 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,900 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #146,495.
FAQ
Wuehler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wuehler?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Wuehler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Wuehler?
Wuehler ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Wuehler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Wuehler.
Has Wuehler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wuehler went from 110 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Wuehler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wuehler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Wuehler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wuehler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Wuehler (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 Wuehler mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "wühlen" meaning to dig or rummage. 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 Wuehler (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 Wuehler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.