The Wisner surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,296 people carried this name — #7,725 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 68,500 people counted. That is up 5% from 4,105 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Wisner surname

From German Wiesner, from Wiesen (“meadows”).

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

In Argentina’s national register

At least 268 people named Wisner 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.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 157
Misiones 45
Entre Ríos 25
City of Buenos Aires 18
Neuquén 12
La Pampa 11

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

In the first U.S. census, 1790

21 families named Wisner, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 115 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 11
New York 8
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 269 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Wisner in American newspapers,
1909–1916.

Newspaper page from The Columbia Herald carrying the name Wisner
The Columbia Herald 1916-10-06
Newspaper page from The Newport Miner carrying the name Wisner
The Newport Miner 1909-01-07
Newspaper page from Daily Capital Journal carrying the name Wisner
Daily Capital Journal 1911-01-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 28,109 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Wisner in Australian newspapers,
1870s–1940s.

70 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wisner. The most, 12, date from the 1920s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 19
Victoria 17
Queensland 14
ACT (Canberra) 5
South Australia 5
Western Australia 4
Tasmania 2

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

Who carried it

People named Wisner,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Benjamin B. Wisner
    Benjamin B. Wisner 1794–1835 · Christian minister
  • Moses Wisner
    Moses Wisner 1815–1863 · lawyer
  • Henry Wisner 1720–1790 · judge
  • Frances Wisner 1814–1905
  • Phil Wisner 1869–1936 · baseball player
  • Aron Wisner 1883–1937 · political activist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Wisner,
in the records of 7 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 States492 records

492 records of the Wisner name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 154
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 145
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 75
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 60
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 38
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 19
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Roy H. Wisner

    Born 1915 in California. Enlisted 1941 at Sacramento; carpenter from San Joaquin County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1963, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    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 Czeczilia Wisner

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Bremen from Cherbourg, aged 15; house maid. From Eltendorf, Hungary; bound for Allentown.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Willard Wisner

    U.S. Army veteran of World War I. Born 1893, died 1954; buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 492 records for Wisner in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (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); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Norway12 records

12 records of the Wisner name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Hans Wisner

    Census of 1910: Værftsgate, Tromsø; fisherman, born 1873 in Tromsø.

    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 Marie Wisner

    Census of 1910: Elvevollen %Gammelgaarden%, Karlsøy; born 1886 in Karlsøy.

    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 August Wisner

    Census of 1910: Kværngate, Porsgrund; "porselænsmaler", born 1866 in Germany.

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

Showing 3 of 12 records for Wisner 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).

Canada11 records

11 records of the Wisner name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 9
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Isabella Wisner

    Died 1924 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. 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 Wilfred Lloyd Wisner

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Nora May Wisner

    Married 1910 in Chester, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 11 records for Wisner in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France9 records

9 records of the Wisner 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 Erna Wisner

    Born 1905 in Romania; died 1990 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines).

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

    Born 1921 in Bois-Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine); died 1994 in Saint-Herblain (Loire-Atlantique).

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

    Born 1895 in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin); died 1986 in Aix-les-Bains (Savoie).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Wisner 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).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the Wisner name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  • Dutch population registers 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Margaretha Wisner

    Born 1822 in Arnhem. Married in 1851 in Arnhem; domestic servant.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Anna Margareta Wisner

    In the population register of Nijmegen; shopkeeper, born 1827 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Johanna Wisner

    Born 1870 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Wisner 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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany5 records

5 records of the Wisner 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 Friedrich Wisner

    From Halle a. S. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 23 September 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 141).

    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 Paul Wisner

    From Kiel. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 2 March 1918.

    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 Georg Wisner

    From Berlin. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 19 September 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 5 records for Wisner 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).

Switzerland1 record

1 record of the Wisner name in Switzerland Zürich marriage records, 16th–18th centuries
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Christian Wisner

    Married in 1740 in Thalwil, canton of Zürich; of Freistadt (Schlesien), Poland.

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wisner.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Wisner 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 Wisner volume
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