2000
#16,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,584
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Wolfgram
A Germanic surname derived from the combination of "wolf" and "gram," possibly referring to an ancestor's association with wolves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,764 Americans carry the last name Wolfgram. That puts it at #17,916 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 194,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wolfgram 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
1.8K
1 in 194,305
Census rank
#17,916
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,538 bearers of the surname Wolfgram in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17916th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolfgram, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wolfgram
The surname Wolfgram has its origins in Germany, with roots in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German words "wolf" meaning "wolf" and "hraban" meaning "raven." These elements were common in Germanic personal names and often symbolized courage, strength, and other admired qualities in warriors.
The areas where the name originally appeared include regions such as Saxony, Bavaria, and other parts of what is now modern-day Germany. In medieval manuscripts and local records, the name appeared in various forms, including Wolfgramm, Wolfram, and Wolfgram. The variations in spelling often depended on regional dialects and the phonetic transcription of the time.
The name is recorded in historical documents, such as tax rolls and land grants, from the 12th century onward. One early reference comes from a land grant recorded in 1250 where a Hanno Wolfgram was mentioned as a significant local figure in Saxony. This type of documentation was crucial as it offers insights into land ownership and feudal relationships of that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Ulrich Wolfgramm, who appeared in the 14th century records of Bavaria. This provides a glimpse into the spread of the surname across different German regions during the late medieval period. By the 16th century, Dietrich Wolfgramm, born in 1532 and dying in 1598, was a notable figure, remembered as a member of the local nobility in Saxony.
In historical contexts, several key individuals with the surname contributed to various fields. Johann Wolfgramm, born in 1678 and dying in 1745, was a renowned scholar whose works in philosophy and theology were well-regarded across German-speaking regions. Another notable individual was Maria Wolfgram, born in 1732, who was an influential landowner and patron of the arts in Bavaria, surviving her husband to manage large estates effectively.
In the 19th century, Franz Wolfgramm, born in 1825, was a pioneer, known for his efforts in the early German labor movements advocating for workers' rights. His activism laid the groundwork for future labor reforms. More recently, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Heinrich Wolfgramm, born in 1889 and dying in 1946, gained recognition for his contributions to German engineering and innovations in manufacturing processes.
The surname Wolfgram thus carries a rich and varied history, reflecting not only personal characteristics admired in early Germanic culture but also a legacy carried through diverse and influential individuals. This name illustrates the broad tapestry of family history and regional history within Germany from medieval times through modern history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wolfgram
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolfgram, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wolfgram 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 Wolfgram surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 1,393
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 58
- Two or more races3.0% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 34
- Black or African American0.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wolfgram
Wolfgram 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
#17,169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,650
+66 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 517 places
2020
#17,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,538
-112 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 747 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,652 | 1,584 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,169 | 1,650 | 0.56 | +66 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 517 places |
| 2020 | #17,916 | 1,538 | 0.51 | -112 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 747 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 Wolfgram 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 | #17,169 | #17,916 | -4.4% |
| Count | 1,650 | 1,538 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.51 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wolfgram bearers went from 1,650 to 1,538 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 747 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,169 to #17,916.
FAQ
Wolfgram surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wolfgram?
Name Census estimates that about 1,764 living Americans carry the surname Wolfgram. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 194,305 residents.
How common is Wolfgram?
Wolfgram ranks #17,916 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 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 1,538 people with the surname Wolfgram. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,764), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 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 Wolfgram.
Has Wolfgram become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wolfgram went from 1,650 recorded bearers to 1,538. That is a decrease of 112 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,169 to #17,916.
What does the Census say about the background of Wolfgram?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolfgram, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Wolfgram in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (1,393 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wolfgram appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Wolfgram (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 Wolfgram mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the combination of "wolf" and "gram," possibly referring to an ancestor's association with wolves. 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 Wolfgram (0.51 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 Wolfgram?
Find out how common the surname Wolfgram is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.