2000
#13,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,071
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Wysong
Derived from the Old English words "wisse" and "hanga," referring to someone who lived near a bent or crooked wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,382 Americans carry the last name Wysong. That puts it at #13,909 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,894 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wysong 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
2.4K
1 in 143,894
Census rank
#13,909
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,077 bearers of the surname Wysong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13909th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wysong, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wysong
The surname Wysong has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Germany, particularly in the areas around the Rhine River valley. The name is thought to be derived from the German words "wies" meaning "meadow" and "ung" meaning "place," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have lived in or near a meadow or grassy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a German parish register from the year 1537, where a man named Hans Wysong was listed as a resident of a small village near the city of Mainz. This early mention provides evidence that the name was already established in the region by the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, the Wysong surname began to spread beyond the borders of Germany, with some bearers of the name migrating to other parts of Europe and, eventually, to the American colonies. One notable individual from this period was Johann Wysong, a German immigrant who settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch region of what is now the United States in the late 1600s.
As the Wysong name continued to disperse in the 18th and 19th centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, including Weissung, Weisong, and Weisung. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the local dialects and languages of the areas where the name's bearers settled.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Wysong. One example is Christian Wysong (1701-1778), a German-born farmer and landowner who became one of the earliest settlers in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Another is Daniel Wysong (1771-1846), an American soldier who fought in the War of 1812 and later served as a member of the Ohio State Legislature.
In the 19th century, the Wysong name gained prominence in the field of education. William Wysong (1818-1895) was a prominent educator and author who served as the president of several colleges and universities in the United States, including the University of Kansas and Bethany College in West Virginia. His son, Walter Wysong (1855-1926), followed in his footsteps and became a respected educator and administrator, serving as the president of Vincennes University in Indiana.
Another notable Wysong was Henry Wysong (1848-1923), an American businessman and industrialist who founded the Wysong Wheel Company in Ohio, which manufactured steel wheels for railway cars and other vehicles. The company played a significant role in the industrial development of the region and employed hundreds of workers at its peak.
These examples illustrate the diversity of backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who have borne the Wysong surname throughout history, from early settlers and farmers to educators, politicians, and industrialists. While the name's origins can be traced back to Germany, its legacy has been shaped by the contributions of its bearers across various fields and regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wysong
Among Census respondents with the surname Wysong, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Wysong 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 Wysong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,870
- Two or more races4.0% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 67
- Black or African American1.8% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wysong
Wysong 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
#14,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,097
+26 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 806 places
2020
#13,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,077
-20 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 370 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,473 | 2,071 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,279 | 2,097 | 0.71 | +26 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 806 places |
| 2020 | #13,909 | 2,077 | 0.69 | -20 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 370 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 Wysong 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 | #14,279 | #13,909 | 2.6% |
| Count | 2,097 | 2,077 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.69 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wysong bearers went from 2,097 to 2,077 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 370 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,279 to #13,909.
FAQ
Wysong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wysong?
Name Census estimates that about 2,382 living Americans carry the surname Wysong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,894 residents.
How common is Wysong?
Wysong ranks #13,909 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,077 people with the surname Wysong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,382), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Wysong.
Has Wysong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wysong went from 2,097 recorded bearers to 2,077. That is a decrease of 20 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,279 to #13,909.
What does the Census say about the background of Wysong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wysong, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Wysong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wysong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Wysong (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 Wysong mean?
Derived from the Old English words "wisse" and "hanga," referring to someone who lived near a bent or crooked wood. 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 Wysong (0.69 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 last name Wysong?
See how many Americans have the surname Wysong on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.