2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wulfkuhle
Of Low German origin meaning "wolf's hole" or "wolf's den".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Wulfkuhle. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wulfkuhle 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Wulfkuhle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wulfkuhle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wulfkuhle
The surname Wulfkuhle has its roots in Germany, with its origins likely dating back to the medieval period. This surname is believed to be derived from the combination of two Old High German words: "wulf," meaning wolf, and "kuhle," meaning a hollow or a pit. The name Wulfkuhle is initially thought to have been a locational surname, identifying individuals who lived near a particular type of landscape feature, such as a pit or a hollow inhabited by wolves.
Wulfkuhle was most prominent in regions of northern and central Germany, particularly in areas around Lower Saxony and Westphalia. During medieval times, these regions were known for their dense forests and rural landscapes, which would have made the wolf a common sight and a significant symbol in folklore and daily life. As such, surnames derived from animals, like "wulf," were not uncommon.
The earliest documentation of the surname Wulfkuhle can be traced back to the 13th century in local records from Westphalia. One notable reference appears in a 1234 tax register, where a Heinrich Wulfkuhle is listed as a landowner in that region. Over the following centuries, the name appears sporadically in various records, seemingly maintaining its association with rural or forested areas characterized by hollows or pits.
Moving into the Renaissance period, the surname Wulfkuhle continued to be recorded in various local church and land records. In 1562, a Johann Wulfkuhle was listed as a master carpenter in the town of Bielefeld, providing a clear example of the name's persistence and the vocational roles its bearers occupied. By the 17th century, migration patterns due to wars and economic opportunities saw the name spreading further afield, though still largely within German-speaking territories.
By the 18th century, the name began to appear in official documents more frequently. In 1723, a Gertrud Wulfkuhle was recorded as a widow settling an estate in Hannover, indicating that the family still held property and maintained a noteworthy social standing. This period also marked a time when many German surnames began to solidify in spelling and form, with "Wulfkuhle" becoming more standardized.
In the 19th century, another notable bearer of the surname was Friedrich Wulfkuhle, born in 1811, who emigrated to the United States, settling in the Midwest. Records from this period indicate Friedrich's involvement in local community building and farming in what would become Kansas. His move reflects the broader waves of German immigration to North America in the 19th century, spurred by political and economic upheaval in Europe.
Throughout its history, the surname Wulfkuhle has also seen notable figures in the field of arts and academia. Johann Wilhelm Wulfkuhle, born in 1878 and died in 1947, was a well-respected poet and scholar who published several works on German folklore and linguistics. His contributions helped bolster the cultural history associated with rural Germany and, indirectly, the stories of families like the Wulfkuhles.
This rich tapestry of documentation and historical references paint a picture of the Wulfkuhle surname as one solidly rooted in the German landscape, connected deeply with both its environment and the socio-economic shifts across centuries. Each reference and individual bearer illustrates the enduring nature of the name, providing glimpses into its journey through history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wulfkuhle
Among Census respondents with the surname Wulfkuhle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wulfkuhle 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 Wulfkuhle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 93
- Two or more races3.1% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wulfkuhle
Wulfkuhle 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
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-6 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 225 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 Wulfkuhle 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 | #156,044 | #156,269 | -0.1% |
| Count | 104 | 98 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wulfkuhle bearers went from 104 to 98 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 225 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,269.
FAQ
Wulfkuhle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wulfkuhle?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Wulfkuhle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Wulfkuhle?
Wulfkuhle ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Wulfkuhle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Wulfkuhle.
Has Wulfkuhle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wulfkuhle went from 104 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #156,044 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Wulfkuhle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wulfkuhle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Wulfkuhle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wulfkuhle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Black (1.0%). 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 Wulfkuhle (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 Wulfkuhle mean?
Of Low German origin meaning "wolf's hole" or "wolf's den". 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 Wulfkuhle (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 common is the surname Wulfkuhle?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Wulfkuhle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.