The Wessels surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,805 people carried this name — #8,641 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 77,500 people counted. That is up 7% from 3,551 in 2000.

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In Argentina’s national register

At least 45 people named Wessels live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

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

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 31
Mendoza 14

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

39 people named Wessels live in Switzerland.

They live in 6 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 18
Vaud 7
Bern 4
Valais 4
Basel-Stadt 3
Zug 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 28 people named Wessels.

8 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 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 8
Paris 8
Nord 4
Pas-de-Calais 4
Aisne 1
Seine-et-Marne 1
Yvelines 1
Val-de-Marne 1

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

In print

Wessels in American newspapers,
1879–1907.

Newspaper page from The Cheyenne Daily Leader carrying the name Wessels
The Cheyenne Daily Leader 1879-01-24
Newspaper page from Grant County Herald carrying the name Wessels
Grant County Herald 1886-09-20
Newspaper page from The Wenatchee Daily World carrying the name Wessels
The Wenatchee Daily World 1907-05-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 45,215 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Wessels in Australian newspapers,
1880s–1980s.

1,485 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wessels. The most, 706, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 501
New South Wales 404
Victoria 275
Western Australia 134
Tasmania 83
South Australia 74
ACT (Canberra) 7

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

Who carried it

People named Wessels,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Alois Wessels
    Alois Wessels 1864–1944 · businessperson
  • Wessel Jacobus Wessels
    Wessel Jacobus Wessels 1865–1945 · military officer
  • Cornelius Wessels
    Cornelius Wessels 1880–1964 · historian
  • Paul Wessels
    Paul Wessels 1946–2024 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — Paul Wessels: Frank Pubben, CC BY 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 128 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Wessels,
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 States865 records

865 records of the Wessels name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 484
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 164
  • Other U.S. records 217
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John A. Wessels

    Born 1915 in Missouri. Enlisted 1942 at Santa Fe, New Mexico; accountant. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico.

    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 Helene Wessels

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Rhein from Bremen, aged 29; servant. From Oldenburg, Germany; bound for Louisville.

    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 Edward John Wessels

    Born 1947; from Wyoming, Michigan. U.S. Navy, airman; died in an accident 1967 in North Vietnam.

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

Showing 3 of 865 records for Wessels 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. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · 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).

Netherlands21,219 records

21,219 records of the Wessels name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 11,862
  • Dutch population registers 6,468
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2,889
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Wessels

    Married in 1864 in Purmerend; shopkeeper. Died 1897 in Purmerend, aged 67.

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

    Married in 1927 in Heerlen; miner, born 1905 in Rheijdt. Died 1944 in Echt, aged 39.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Harmannus Henderikus Wessels

    Married in 1866 in Groningen; smith, born 1840 in Groningen. Died 1892 in Groningen, aged 51; "wagenlichter".

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 21,219 records for Wessels 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).

Germany590 records

590 records of the Wessels name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Georg Weßels

    Born 1898; from Twistringen, Syke. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 30 November 1918 (Foot Artillery Regiment No. 14).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hermann Wessels

    From Gaste, Kreis Osnabrück. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 14 October 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 78).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Frerich Wessels

    From Ostochtersum, Hannover. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 3 May 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 590 records for Wessels in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (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).

Australia22 records

22 records of the Wessels name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 11
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 8
  • Other Australian records 3
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Johannes Potlas Wessels

    Lecturer of Nth Warrandyte, Victoria; died 1982.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bernardus P. Wessels

    Arrived in Victoria in 1909 aboard the Medic, aged 51.

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

    Naturalised in Queensland in 1876.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Wessels in Australia.

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

France8 records

8 records of the Wessels 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 Madeleine Wessels

    Born 1905 in Vincennes (Val-de-Marne); died 1995 in Albi (Tarn).

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

    Born 1943 in the Netherlands; died 1993 in Fréjus (Var).

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

    Born 1923 in Sèvres (Hauts-de-Seine); died 2001 in Coudekerque-Branche (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Wessels 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).

Belgium2 records

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

    Died 1838 in Aalst, aged 23.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Georges Wessels

    Died 1963 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).

Canada1 record

1 record of the Wessels name in Canada City of Winnipeg cemetery records
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Christina Jessie Wessels

    Died 1969; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Wessels name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Dominika Wessels

    Census of 1910: Albumsgate, Drammen; born 1878 in Germany.

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

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wessels.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Wessels 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.

See the Wessels volume
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