2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wursten
A surname denoting someone from a place named Wursten or Worsten.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Wursten. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wursten 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Wursten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wursten, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wursten
The surname Wursten has its origins in Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony. The earliest records date back to the medieval period, around the 13th and 14th centuries. The name is believed to have a toponymic origin, derived from the Old German word "wurst," which means sausage. It is likely that the original bearers of the name were involved in sausage-making or lived in an area where this craft was prevalent.
One of the earliest references to the name Wursten can be found in medieval records, where it appears in various documents pertaining to land ownership and trade. The 1300s saw the first written mentions of the surname in chronicles documenting the activities in and around the Frisian regions of Germany. Manuscripts from that era make mention of a Henricus Wurstere, a tradesman dealing in cured meats, thus establishing a clear occupational link to the name.
Another significant historical reference to the surname is found in the tax rolls of Hamburg in the late 14th century, where a Johann Wursten is listed as a resident. Johann's records suggest he was a member of the local guild, possibly involved in meat processing or butchery. This aligns well with the etymological roots of the name and provides insight into the social standing of those who bore it.
By the 15th century, the Wursten surname began to appear in parish records and civic documents with increased frequency within the territories of Bremen and Hamburg. A notable individual from this period is Dietrich Wursten, a mayor of a small town near present-day Bremerhaven, who held office from 1482 to 1495. Dietrich's contributions to local governance and trade development are well documented in municipal archives.
The 16th century brought prominence to another figure, Margarethe Wursten, born in 1534 in the town of Stade. She was known for running an apothecary, a somewhat unusual occupation for women of that era. Her diaries and ledgers, preserved in the local archives, offer a fascinating glimpse into daily life and commerce during Renaissance Germany.
In the later part of the 17th century, records indicate a migration of some members of the Wursten family to the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. One distinguished member during this period was Georg Wursten, a theologian and writer born in 1650. His work on early Protestant theological discourses gained considerable acclaim and was widely disseminated.
Johann Georg Wursten, who lived during the early 18th century, continued the legacy of the name in Germany. Born in 1692, Johann Georg was an accomplished musician, holding various positions as an organist in several churches throughout Lower Saxony. His compositions have a place in the history of German Baroque music and are still studied by music historians today.
Throughout history, the surname Wursten has demonstrated a strong connection to its roots, both occupationally and geographically. The individuals who carried this name contribute richly to the historical and cultural tapestry of their regions, with their achievements spanning diverse fields such as politics, trade, medicine, theology, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wursten
Among Census respondents with the surname Wursten, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wursten 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 Wursten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 112
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wursten
Wursten 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
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+8 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 4,695 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 Wursten 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 | #145,220 | #140,525 | 3.2% |
| Count | 114 | 122 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wursten bearers went from 114 to 122 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #140,525.
FAQ
Wursten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wursten?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Wursten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Wursten?
Wursten ranks #140,525 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 122 people with the surname Wursten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), 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 Wursten.
Has Wursten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wursten went from 114 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 8 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Wursten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wursten, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Wursten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wursten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Wursten (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 Wursten mean?
A surname denoting someone from a place named Wursten or Worsten. 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 Wursten (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 Americans have the surname Wursten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.