Explore the Family Name Wessel
The meaning of Wessel
1. Dutch and German: from a pet form of the personal name Werner. 2. German: habitational name from Wessel in Saxony. 3. Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian Vesel, and also an Americanized form of a homonymous Slovak surname, which probably originates from German Wessel (see above), and of Czech and Slovak Veselý (see Vesely). Compare Wessell and Vessel. 4. Jewish (western Ashkenazic): variant of Wesel, a habitational name from the town of Wesel in Westphalia, Germany.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wessel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Wessel has seen a marginal decrease over ten years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5038th most popular surname in the United States and by 2010, it had slid to 5262nd place, a decline of 4.45 percent. Despite this, the actual count of individuals carrying the Wessel name saw an increase of 3.69 percent from 6394 in 2000 to 6630 in 2010. However, the proportion per 100,000 individuals dropped slightly by 5.06 percent during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,038 | #5,262 | -4.45% |
| Count | 6,394 | 6,630 | 3.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.37 | 2.25 | -5.06% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wessel
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a significant diversity within those bearing the Wessel surname between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of people with this surname identified predominantly as White (96.48 percent in 2000 and 95.08 percent in 2010), there was an overall downward trend by 1.45 percent. The Hispanic population with the Wessel surname more than doubled in size, growing by 102.17 percent. Similarly, individuals of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, those identifying as two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives also saw increases in the surname's prevalence, rising by 11.43 percent, 19.23 percent, and 27.27 percent respectively. The Black population grew marginally by 11.11 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.48% | 95.08% | -1.45% |
| Hispanic | 0.92% | 1.86% | 102.17% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 1.55% | 19.23% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.7% | 0.78% | 11.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.42% | 27.27% |
| Black | 0.27% | 0.3% | 11.11% |
Wessel ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Wessel is French & German, which comprises 35.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (34.7%) and Eastern European (7.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 35.6% |
| British & Irish | 34.7% |
| Eastern European | 7.4% |
| Other | 22.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Wessel
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Wessel have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
What Wessel haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Wessel is R-L48, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L48 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z156, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fricke, Brinkman, Beck, Dick, Winter, Weller, Schrader, Schumacher, Sadler, Rhodes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wessel surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Wessel have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Wessel" Surname 43.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Wessel" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wessel" Surname 26.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Wessel" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wessel?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Wessel are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition