2000
#4,694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,906
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.56
Rare Last name
Weigel
From a German surname referring to a person from a village or town called Weigel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,227 Americans carry the last name Weigel. That puts it at #5,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,427 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weigel 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
7.2K
1 in 47,427
Census rank
#5,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,302 bearers of the surname Weigel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weigel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weigel
The surname Weigel is of German origin and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Germanic word "wigan," which means "to fight" or "to struggle." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was a fierce warrior or a determined individual.
The earliest recorded instances of the Weigel surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of modern-day Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Silesia. It is believed that the name may have been initially associated with certain occupations or professions that required physical strength and resilience, such as soldiers, blacksmiths, or miners.
In medieval German records, the name appeared in various spellings, including Weigel, Weygel, Weigell, and Weigl, reflecting regional variations and scribal inconsistencies. Some notable historical figures with the Weigel surname include:
1. Valentin Weigel (1533-1588), a German philosopher and theologian known for his mystical writings and influence on the Protestant Reformation.
2. Erhard Weigel (1625-1699), a German mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and the study of celestial mechanics.
3. Johann Christoph Weigel (1661-1726), a German engraver and publisher renowned for his intricate copperplate engravings and cartographic works.
4. Christian Ehrenfried Weigel (1748-1831), a German bookseller, publisher, and engraver who produced numerous atlases and maps during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
5. Rudolph Weigel (1804-1867), a German philologist and educator who specialized in Old Germanic languages and literature.
The Weigel surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Weigelsbach, a town in Bavaria, and Weigelthal, a village in Saxony. These place names may have their origins in the Weigel surname or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographic locations.
While the Weigel surname has its roots in medieval Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world through migration and diaspora. However, the name's historical significance and connection to its Germanic origins remain intact, serving as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weigel
Among Census respondents with the surname Weigel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Weigel 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 Weigel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 5,857
- Two or more races2.9% · 183
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 170
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 51
- Black or African American0.4% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weigel
Weigel 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
#5,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,740
-166 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 493 places
2020
#5,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,302
-438 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,694 | 6,906 | 2.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,187 | 6,740 | 2.28 | -166 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 493 places |
| 2020 | #5,339 | 6,302 | 2.11 | -438 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 152 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 Weigel 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 | #5,187 | #5,339 | -2.9% |
| Count | 6,740 | 6,302 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 2.11 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weigel bearers went from 6,740 to 6,302 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,187 to #5,339.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Weigel
FAQ
Weigel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weigel?
Name Census estimates that about 7,227 living Americans carry the surname Weigel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,427 residents.
How common is Weigel?
Weigel ranks #5,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,302 people with the surname Weigel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Weigel.
Has Weigel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weigel went from 6,740 recorded bearers to 6,302. That is a decrease of 438 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,187 to #5,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Weigel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weigel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Weigel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (5,857 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weigel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Weigel (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 Weigel mean?
From a German surname referring to a person from a village or town called Weigel. 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 Weigel (2.11 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 Weigel?
You can see how many people are called Weigel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.