Explore the Family Name Wankel

The meaning of Wankel

German: 1. from a pet form of the personal name Wanke 1. 2. nickname from Middle High German wankel ‘swaying, unsteady’ for a fickle person.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Wankel in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Wankel has increased over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 70,273 but by 2010, it had risen to the position of 56,588, indicating an upward shift of about 19.47%. The number of people with this surname also witnessed a notable increase from 260 in 2000 to 361 in 2010, which is a jump of 38.85%. Consequently, the proportion per 100k individuals also experienced a surge from 0.1 in 2000 to 0.12 in 2010, reflecting a 20% change.

20002010Change
Rank#70,273#56,58819.47%
Count26036138.85%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1220%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wankel

In terms of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that a significant majority of individuals with the Wankel surname identify as White. This ethnic identity decreased slightly from 97.69% in 2000 to 95.01% in 2010. Those identifying with two or more races were recorded at 1.92% in 2000 but were not represented in the 2010 census data. A new development in the 2010 census was the emergence of individuals identifying as Hispanic, who made up 3.05% of the total count. Other ethnic identities such as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native did not have any representation in either year.

20002010Change
White97.69%95.01%-2.74%
Hispanic0%3.05%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races1.92%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%