2000
#12,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,180
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Wurst
A German occupational surname referring to a sausage maker or butcher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,308 Americans carry the last name Wurst. That puts it at #14,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wurst 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
2.3K
1 in 148,507
Census rank
#14,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,013 bearers of the surname Wurst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wurst, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wurst
The surname "WURST" is of German origin, deriving from the Old High German word "wurst," which means "sausage." It first emerged in the regions of central and southern Germany during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.
The name was initially an occupational surname, given to individuals involved in the production or sale of sausages. In medieval times, surnames were often derived from a person's trade or occupation, as a way to distinguish individuals within a community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "WURST" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time, likely among butchers or sausage makers in the region.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Hans Wurst is mentioned in the Nürnberger Polizeiordunung, a set of municipal regulations from the city of Nuremberg. Hans Wurst was a traveling entertainer and satirist, known for his comedic performances and social commentary.
During the 16th century, the surname "WURST" spread beyond German-speaking regions as people migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable bearer of this name was Johann Wurst (1551-1616), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Wittenberg.
Another individual of note was Johann Philipp Wurst (1701-1765), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst. His works were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the development of German baroque music.
In the 19th century, the surname "WURST" can be found in various records and documents across Europe and the Americas. For instance, Johann Andreas Wurst (1808-1884) was a German-American musician and composer who settled in Pennsylvania and became known for his contributions to the development of American folk music.
While the surname "WURST" has its origins in an occupational context, it has since evolved into a widely recognized family name, carried by individuals from various walks of life and across different regions of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wurst
Among Census respondents with the surname Wurst, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wurst 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 Wurst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 1,888
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 63
- Two or more races2.0% · 41
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wurst
Wurst 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
#13,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,153
-27 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 1,072 places
2020
#14,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,013
-140 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,925 | 2,180 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,997 | 2,153 | 0.73 | -27 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 1,072 places |
| 2020 | #14,300 | 2,013 | 0.67 | -140 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 303 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 Wurst 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 | #13,997 | #14,300 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,153 | 2,013 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.67 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wurst bearers went from 2,153 to 2,013 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 303 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,997 to #14,300.
FAQ
Wurst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wurst?
Name Census estimates that about 2,308 living Americans carry the surname Wurst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,507 residents.
How common is Wurst?
Wurst ranks #14,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,013 people with the surname Wurst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,308), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wurst.
Has Wurst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wurst went from 2,153 recorded bearers to 2,013. That is a decrease of 140 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,997 to #14,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Wurst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wurst, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wurst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,888 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wurst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wurst (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 Wurst mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a sausage maker or butcher. 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 Wurst (0.67 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 Wurst?
See how many people are called Wurst on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.