2000
#21,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Wellner
A surname derived from a German place name referring to a location with springs or wells.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,299 Americans carry the last name Wellner. That puts it at #23,166 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 263,860 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wellner 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
1.3K
1 in 263,860
Census rank
#23,166
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,133 bearers of the surname Wellner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23166th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wellner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wellner
The surname Wellner has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Wellen," which means "waves" or "ripples," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a body of water with a wavy or rippling surface.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wellner appears in a manuscript from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1547. The document mentions a certain Hans Wellner, who was a merchant and landowner in the region.
During the 17th century, the Wellner name gained prominence in the southern German states, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Records from this period show several Wellner families owning land and businesses in towns such as Ulm, Stuttgart, and Freiburg.
In the late 18th century, Johann Georg Wellner (1742-1812) was a notable figure from Bamberg, Bavaria. He was a renowned clockmaker and inventor, known for his innovative clock designs and contributions to the field of horology.
As the Wellner family spread across Germany, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Wellner, Wöllner, and Wöllmer. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local scribes' interpretations.
In the 19th century, the Wellner name made its way to other parts of Europe and even across the Atlantic. One notable figure was Friedrich Wellner (1818-1892), a German-born businessman who immigrated to the United States and established a successful brewery in St. Louis, Missouri.
Another prominent individual with the Wellner surname was Adele Wellner (1876-1956), an Austrian opera singer and actress. She performed in major opera houses across Europe and was highly acclaimed for her portrayal of various roles in works by composers such as Wagner and Verdi.
In the 20th century, the Wellner name continued to be represented in various fields. For instance, Robert Wellner (1909-1991) was a German-American artist and painter known for his abstract expressionist works, which were exhibited in galleries across the United States and Europe.
It is worth noting that while the Wellner surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage, contributing to the rich cultural diversity associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wellner
Among Census respondents with the surname Wellner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Wellner 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 Wellner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,053
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 32
- Two or more races2.2% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 10
- Black or African American0.6% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wellner
Wellner 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
#23,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,085
-20 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 1,530 places
2020
#23,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,133
+48 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,902 | 1,105 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,432 | 1,085 | 0.37 | -20 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,530 places |
| 2020 | #23,166 | 1,133 | 0.38 | +48 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 266 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 Wellner 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 | #23,432 | #23,166 | 1.1% |
| Count | 1,085 | 1,133 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.38 | 2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wellner bearers went from 1,085 to 1,133 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 266 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,432 to #23,166.
FAQ
Wellner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wellner?
Name Census estimates that about 1,299 living Americans carry the surname Wellner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 263,860 residents.
How common is Wellner?
Wellner ranks #23,166 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,133 people with the surname Wellner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,299), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Wellner.
Has Wellner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wellner went from 1,085 recorded bearers to 1,133. That is an increase of 48 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,432 to #23,166.
What does the Census say about the background of Wellner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wellner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Wellner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,053 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wellner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Wellner (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 Wellner mean?
A surname derived from a German place name referring to a location with springs or wells. 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 Wellner (0.38 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 are called Wellner?
Want to know how many people have the last name Wellner? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.