NameCensus.

UK surname

Wenger

A surname of German origin, referring to a maker or seller of wagons or carts.

In the 1881 census there were 20 people recorded with the Wenger surname, ranking it #30,738 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 92, ranked #32,035, down from #30,738 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stafford, The Vale of Glamorgan and Flintshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wenger is 110 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 360.0%.

1881 census count

20

Ranked #30,738

Modern count

92

2016, ranked #32,035

Peak year

2010

110 bearers

Map years

1

2006 to 2006

Key insights

  • Wenger had 20 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,738 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016, ranked #32,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 39 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wenger surname distribution map

The map shows where the Wenger surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Wenger surname density by area, 2006 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wenger over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 5 #33,418
1881 historical 20 #30,738
1891 historical 20 #32,579
1901 historical 39 #29,799
1911 historical 30 #30,073
1997 modern 81 #29,436
1998 modern 90 #28,920
1999 modern 94 #28,593
2000 modern 89 #29,173
2001 modern 95 #28,101
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 98 #29,019
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 94 #31,872
2016 modern 92 #32,035

Geography

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Where Wengers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stafford, The Vale of Glamorgan, Flintshire, Shropshire and Camden. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stafford 002 Stafford
2 The Vale of Glamorgan 004 Vale of Glamorgan
3 Flintshire 001 Flintshire
4 Shropshire 016 Shropshire
5 Camden 018 Camden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wenger

These lists show first names that appear often with the Wenger surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wenger

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wenger, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Wenger surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Wenger household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Wenger is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wenger is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wenger falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wenger is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wenger, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wenger

The surname Wenger is of German origin, and it is believed to have first emerged in the region of Bavaria during the late Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "wenge," which means "field" or "meadow." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely farmers or landowners who lived and worked in rural areas.

The earliest recorded instances of the Wenger surname can be found in various historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. For example, there are records of a Wilhelm Wenger who lived in the town of Nuremberg in 1397. Additionally, the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and documents from Bavaria, dating back to the 15th century.

One notable individual with the Wenger surname was Hans Wenger (1508-1558), a German Renaissance painter and engraver who was born in Nuremberg. His works, which included religious paintings and engravings, are now housed in various museums and collections across Europe.

In the 17th century, the Wenger name appears in several records related to the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), a devastating conflict that ravaged much of central Europe. One such record mentions a Johann Wenger, who served as a soldier in the Imperial Army during the war.

As the Wenger family spread across different regions of Germany and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as Wengert, Wenger, and Wengert. Some of these variations were influenced by local dialects and pronunciations.

One of the most famous individuals with the Wenger surname in more recent history was Arsène Wenger (born 1949), a French former professional football player and manager. He is best known for his tenure as the manager of Arsenal Football Club in the English Premier League, where he served from 1996 to 2018.

Other notable individuals with the Wenger surname include Johann Wenger (1823-1890), a Swiss architect who designed several buildings in Basel, and Paul Wenger (1892-1975), a Swiss writer and poet who was known for his works in the Alemannic German dialect.

While the Wenger name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with families bearing this surname found in countries such as Switzerland, France, and even as far as the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wenger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wenger surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 7 Wengers recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.64x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 7 10.64x
Essex 4 10.40x
Middlesex 4 2.05x
Gloucestershire 2 5.23x
Yorkshire 2 1.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 3.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 7 Wengers recorded in 1881 and an index of 100.43x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 7 100.43x
Romford 4 655.74x
St George Martyr 2 606.06x
Westbury On Trym 2 155.04x
Huddersfield 1 35.59x
Marske Near Richmond 1 5000.00x
Nottingham St Mary 1 14.73x
St Martin In Fields 1 85.47x
St Pancras London 1 6.38x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Wenger surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Emma 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Marie 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Wenger surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alfred 2
Louis 2
Adolph 1
Albert 1
Francis 1
Henri 1
Henry 1
James 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Wenger households.

FAQ

Wenger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wenger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 20 people were recorded with the Wenger surname. That placed it at #30,738 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wenger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016. That gives Wenger a modern rank of #32,035.

What does the Wenger surname mean?

A surname of German origin, referring to a maker or seller of wagons or carts.

What does the Wenger map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Wenger bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.