2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wygand
A German surname derived from the place name Wigan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Wygand. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wygand 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Wygand in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wygand, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wygand
The surname Wygand originates from Germany and can be traced back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old High German given name Wigant, which means "fighter" or "warrior." This etymological origin is rooted in the Old High German words "wig," meaning "battle," and "ant," meaning "end" or "one who takes part in." These words are indicative of a martial or combative heritage, common amongst surnames derived from personal names of medieval warriors.
Historical references to this surname appear in various medieval documents and records. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the charters of the Rhineland region, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also documented in the annals of Thuringia, an area known for its feudal history and knightly families. Manuscripts from this period frequently feature the name in connection with territorial disputes and military campaigns, reflecting the martial connotations of the name.
One prominent figure with the surname Wygand is Wygand von Marburg, a 14th-century scribe and court chronicler born around 1340 and known for his works documenting the history of the Teutonic Knights. His chronicles provide valuable insight into the medieval military and political landscapes of Eastern Europe.
Another notable individual is Johann Wygand, born in 1517, who was a German Lutheran theologian and a staunch defender of the Protestant Reformation. His writings and theological debates significantly influenced the religious thinking of his time.
In the realm of literature, Christoph Wygand (1581–1630), a German poet and writer, made considerable contributions to German Renaissance literature. His works exemplify the humanistic trends of the era and reflect the cultural shift towards individualism and scholastic inquiry.
In the early 17th century, another figure, Lorenz Wygand, born in 1604, emerged as a distinguished lawyer and jurist in Munich. His legal treatises and involvement in the codification of Bavarian law had a lasting impact on the legal practices in the region.
Finally, Georg Wygand, a notable printer and publisher from Nuremberg, born in 1673, made significant contributions to the spread of Enlightenment ideas through his publications. His printing house was known for producing works that advanced scientific, philosophical, and political knowledge during a transformative period in European history.
These historical figures illustrate the diverse contributions of individuals bearing the surname Wygand across different fields and eras, underscoring the name's rich heritage and enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wygand
Among Census respondents with the surname Wygand, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wygand 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 Wygand surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 116
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wygand
Wygand 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 129 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 Wygand 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 | #144,141 | #144,270 | -0.1% |
| Count | 115 | 117 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wygand bearers went from 115 to 117 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #144,270.
FAQ
Wygand surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wygand?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Wygand. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Wygand?
Wygand ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Wygand. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Wygand.
Has Wygand become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wygand went from 115 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Wygand?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wygand, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%). 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 Wygand in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wygand appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Black (0.9%). 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 Wygand (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 Wygand mean?
A German surname derived from the place name Wigan. 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 Wygand (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 Wygand?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.