Explore the Family Name Wunder

The meaning of Wunder

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for someone who performed wonders, from German Wunder ‘miracle’, Middle High German wunderære. The Jewish name is mainly artificial. The German name can also be from a nickname for a curious or inquisitive person, from Middle High German wunder ‘curiosity’, ‘astonishment’.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Wunder has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. Although the total count of people with this surname increased by 3.06%, from 2,322 to 2,393, its rank dropped from 12,282 to 12,865, indicating a -4.75% change. This suggests that while more people bear the name Wunder, other surnames have become more popular. The proportion of Wunders per 100,000 people also fell by -5.81%.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#12,282	#12,865	-4.75%
Count	2,322	2,393	3.06%
Proportion per 100k	0.86	0.81	-5.81%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wunder

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Wunder. In 2000, the majority (96.04%) of individuals with this last name identified as White, but this proportion declined slightly to 93.73% in 2010. During the same period, there was a significant increase in the percentage of Wunders identifying as Black (from 0.39% to 1.17%) and Hispanic (from 1.64% to 3.05%). The proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting two or more races rose by 38.46% and 11.61% respectively. However, the portion of American Indian and Alaskan Native Wunders fell by -41.86%.

	2000	2010	Change
White	96.04%	93.73%	-2.41%
Hispanic	1.64%	3.05%	85.98%
Two or More Races	1.12%	1.25%	11.61%
Black	0.39%	1.17%	200%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.39%	0.54%	38.46%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0.43%	0.25%	-41.86%