2000
#931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,352
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.73
Uncommon Last name
Werner
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or supplier of wer, a type of defensive fortification.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 38,176 Americans carry the last name Werner. That puts it at #1,038 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,978 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Werner 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Werner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
38K
1 in 8,978
Census rank
#1,038
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
33K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,291 bearers of the surname Werner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1038th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Werner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Werner
The surname Werner is a German occupational name derived from the Middle High German "wernære" or "wernaere," meaning a guard or defender. This name originated in the 12th century and was initially given to those who served as watchmen or overseers responsible for the protection of towns, villages, or castles.
The name is believed to have first emerged in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is also found in the neighboring German-speaking regions of Switzerland and Austria.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Werner can be found in the Codex Traditionum of the Monastery of St. Gallen, dating back to the 9th century. This manuscript mentions a certain "Wernher de Villach," indicating the presence of the name in the region of Villach, Austria, during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Werner appeared in the Annals of the Monastery of Quedlinburg, which recorded the name of a nobleman named Werner von Schwalenberg. This reference suggests that the name was also associated with the nobility and landed gentry.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Werner was borne by several notable individuals, including Werner von Kyburg (c. 1230–1284), a Swiss nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between the House of Habsburg and the Swiss Confederates.
Another prominent figure was Werner von Urslingen (c. 1330–1384), a German mercenary captain and military leader who fought in various conflicts throughout Europe during the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name Werner was associated with the German Renaissance humanist and scholar Johannes Werner (1468–1522), who was born in Nuremberg and is known for his contributions to the study of mathematics and astronomy.
During the 16th century, the surname was borne by Georg Werner (1589–1643), a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of early modern astronomy, including the study of comets and the discovery of the first known variable star.
In the 18th century, Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817) was a German geologist and mineralogist who is considered a pioneer in the field of geology and is credited with developing the Neptunian theory of rock formation.
These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname Werner across various regions of Germany and neighboring areas, as well as its association with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including nobility, military leaders, scholars, and scientists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Werner
Among Census respondents with the surname Werner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Werner 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 Werner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 30,751
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 1,127
- Two or more races2.7% · 884
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 270
- Black or African American0.5% · 183
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 76
Timeline
Historical Census data for Werner
Werner 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
#1,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,488
+136 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 11.69
Rank movement Down 82 places
2020
#1,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,291
-1,197 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 11.14
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #931 | 34,352 | 12.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,013 | 34,488 | 11.69 | +136 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 82 places |
| 2020 | #1,038 | 33,291 | 11.14 | -1,197 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 25 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 Werner 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 | #1,013 | #1,038 | -2.5% |
| Count | 34,488 | 33,291 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 11.69 | 11.14 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Werner bearers went from 34,488 to 33,291 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,013 to #1,038.
FAQ
Werner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Werner?
Name Census estimates that about 38,176 living Americans carry the surname Werner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,978 residents.
How common is Werner?
Werner ranks #1,038 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,291 people with the surname Werner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (38,176), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Werner.
Has Werner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Werner went from 34,488 recorded bearers to 33,291. That is a decrease of 1,197 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,013 to #1,038.
What does the Census say about the background of Werner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Werner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Werner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (30,751 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Werner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (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 Werner (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 Werner mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or supplier of wer, a type of defensive fortification. 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 Werner (11.14 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 Werner?
See how many people have the last name Werner on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.