Explore the Family Name Wess
The meaning of Wess
1. German: from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Wasmuot. 2. English: variant of Wass.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wess in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Wess has slightly decreased between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Wess was the 18,836th most common surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 20,792nd position, a decline of approximately 10.38 percent. Similarly, the absolute count of individuals carrying the surname Wess fell from 1,343 in 2000 to 1,270 in 2010, a decrease of roughly 5.44 percent. Consequently, the proportion of people with the surname Wess per 100,000 individuals also declined by 14 percent over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,836 | #20,792 | -10.38% |
| Count | 1,343 | 1,270 | -5.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.5 | 0.43 | -14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wess
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Wess also experienced shifts between 2000 and 2010 according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The proportion of those identifying as White fell by 4.49 percent, whereas the percentage of those identifying as Black increased by 10.79 percent. Notably, there was a significant increase of 40.80 percent among those who identify with two or more races. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic saw a modest rise of 25 percent. However, data for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native were suppressed in the 2010 census for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.84% | 73.39% | -4.49% |
| Black | 18.62% | 20.63% | 10.79% |
| Two or More Races | 2.01% | 2.83% | 40.8% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.05% | 25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0% | 0% |