The Wessel surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,630 people carried this name — #5,262 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 44,400 people counted. That is up 4% from 6,394 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Wessel surname

As a Dutch and German surname, pet form of Werner.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Wessel» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Poland’s population register

144 people named Wessel have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 188 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 5 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Kuyavian-Pomeranian 97
Pomeranian 24
Warmian-Masurian 15
Masovian 4
Silesian 4

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

39 people named Wessel live in Switzerland.

They live in 7 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 12
Basel-Landschaft 6
Lucerne 6
Schaffhausen 5
Graubünden 4
Bern 3
St. Gallen 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 33 people named Wessel.

Most of them — 17 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 8 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 17
Paris 4
Yvelines 3
Loire-Atlantique 2
Moselle 2
Pas-de-Calais 2
Ardennes 1
Haute-Garonne 1
Ille-et-Vilaine 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

811 people named Wessel are counted in Norway and Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers.

Counted, by country

Norway (2025) 565
Sweden (2022) 246

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Wessel in American newspapers,
1922–1923.

Newspaper page from Ellsworth American carrying the name Wessel
Ellsworth American 1923-06-06
Newspaper page from Ellsworth American carrying the name Wessel
Ellsworth American 1922-06-07
Newspaper page from Ellsworth American carrying the name Wessel
Ellsworth American 1923-08-15

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 39,284 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Wessel in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

764 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wessel. The most, 172, date from the 1950s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 463
New South Wales 194
Victoria 39
Western Australia 34
South Australia 18
Tasmania 6
ACT (Canberra) 5
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wessel.

Who carried it

People named Wessel,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Lorenz Wessel d. 1597 · teacher
  • Hermann Wessel d. 1507 · pastor
  • Arend Wessel d. 1680 · printer
  • Hieronimus Wessel d. 1701 · goldsmith
  • Wojciech Wessel d. 1656
  • Janusz Wessel d. 1669

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Wessel,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,412 records

1,412 records of the Wessel name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 624
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 377
  • Other U.S. records 411
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John M. Wessel

    Born 1915 in Maryland. Enlisted 1943 at Baltimore; stock clerk from Baltimore County. Veteran; died 1963, buried at Baltimore National Cemetery, Maryland.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Wessel

    Arrived at Baltimore in 1843 aboard the Marianne from Bremen, aged 18; servant. From Losekamp, Germany; bound for Cincinnati.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Richard Wessel

    Born 1946; from Indianapolis, Indiana. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,412 records for Wessel in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Netherlands4,654 records

4,654 records of the Wessel name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2,704
  • Dutch population registers 1,696
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 254
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Josephus Joannes Wessel

    Married in 1823 in Amsterdam; smith. Died 1847 in Woerden, aged 42.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Wilmina Wessel

    Married in 1822 in Almelo; farmer. Died 1874 in Almelo, aged 82.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Gerrit Hermanus Wessel

    Married in 1885 in Texel; seaman. Died 1928 in Den Helder, aged 70.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4,654 records for Wessel in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Germany1,039 records

1,039 records of the Wessel name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 1,036
  • German emigration and citizenship files 2
  • German estate files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gerhard Wessel

    Born 1877; from Düren. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 29 July 1918; then reported dead in the list of 5 December 1918 (Infantry Regiment No. 368).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Richard Theodor Emil Wessel

    Emigrated to Holland in 1886.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record D. S. Wessel

    Estate settled at Lößnitz in 1852.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Sächsisches Staatsarchiv (CC0)

Showing 3 of 1,039 records for Wessel in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Norway170 records

170 records of the Wessel name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Johan Herman Wessel

    Census of 1910: Storgate, Svelvik; postman, born 1893 in Svelvik.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Wilhelmine Wessel

    Census of 1910: Sommerfrydveien, Drammen; housekeeper, born 1844 in Drammen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Melhior Doran Wessel

    Census of 1910: Øren, Hevne; farmer, born 1857 in Hevne.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 170 records for Wessel in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia42 records

42 records of the Wessel name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 22
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 16
  • Other Australian records 4
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Carl Wessel

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Wilhelmsburg, aged 28; Danish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Paul Wessel

    Cashier of Richmond, Victoria; died 1990.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Martin Wessel

    Naturalised in Queensland in 1872.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 42 records for Wessel in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada27 records

27 records of the Wessel name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 26
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Edward Wessel

    Died 1918 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Wessel

    Died 1870 in Sober Island, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record A. E. Wessel

    Eastern Ontario Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 27 records for Wessel in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France11 records

11 records of the Wessel name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Hans Jurgen Matthias Wessel

    Born 1948 in Germany; died 1991 in Saint-Ambreuil (Saône-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Maria Wessel

    Born 1903 in Germany; died 1992 in Rueil-Malmaison (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Harold Geoffroy Wessel

    Born 1910 in Chile; died 1995 in Villefranche-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Wessel in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Wessel name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Theresia Wessel

    Died 1905 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wessel.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Wessel is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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