Explore the Family Name Wempe
The meaning of Wempe
1. North German, East Frisian, North Frisian, Dutch (mainly North Holland), and West Frisian: from a Frisian-Low German pet form of a personal name name composed with the ancient Germanic element wil ‘will’. This surname is very rare in East and North Frisia. 2. South German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name composed of Old High German wān ‘hope’ + bald ‘bold’ or berht ‘shining’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wempe in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Wempe saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Wempe was ranked as the 47,654th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had slipped to 48,347th. Despite this slide in rank, the actual count of people with the Wempe surname increased by 4.55%, from 418 to 437 individuals. The proportion of Wempes per 100,000 people remained constant at 0.15.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #47,654 | #48,347 | -1.45% |
| Count | 418 | 437 | 4.55% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wempe
Turning to ethnicity, the Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the Wempe surname identify as White. In 2000, this group accounted for 97.85% of all Wempes, although this figure decreased slightly to 94.28% by 2010. Meanwhile, the proportion of Wempes identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase over the same period, jumping from 1.20% to 2.97%. There were no recorded instances of Wempes identifying as either Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.85% | 94.28% | -3.65% |
| Hispanic | 1.2% | 2.97% | 147.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |