The Wulf surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,499 people carried this name — #7,397 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 65,400 people counted. That is down 1% from 4,559 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Wulf surname

A surname transferred from the given name.

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

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the wolf’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Roger Ulfe, temp. 1250 — Cartularium Abbathiae de Whiteby.

His entry covers Wolff, Wolf, Woolfe, Wulff and Wulf.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 821 · public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

94 people named Wulf live in Switzerland.

They live in 9 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Thurgau.

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

Where they live today

Thurgau 18
Zurich 17
Bern 16
Aargau 12
Vaud 10
St. Gallen 8
Basel-Stadt 6
Lucerne 4

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 Poland’s population register

50 people named Wulf have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 88 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 Masovian.

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

Where they live today

Masovian 24
West Pomeranian 10
Greater Poland 7
Silesian 6
Subcarpathian 3

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

In Argentina’s national register

At least 47 people named Wulf 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 30
City of Buenos Aires 17

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

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 21 people named Wulf.

Most of them — 13 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 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 13
Paris 4
Seine-Maritime 2
Calvados 1
Meurthe-et-Moselle 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

138 people named Wulf is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 138

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).

In print

Wulf in American newspapers,
1906.

Newspaper page from Burlington Weekly Free Press carrying the name Wulf
Burlington Weekly Free Press 1906-08-09
Newspaper page from Burlington Weekly Free Press carrying the name Wulf
Burlington Weekly Free Press 1906-09-06
Newspaper page from The Wenatchee Daily World carrying the name Wulf
The Wenatchee Daily World 1906-06-14

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 18,574 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Wulf in Australian newspapers,
1870s–1980s.

1,157 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wulf. The most, 287, 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 2.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 623
Victoria 249
New South Wales 227
Western Australia 25
South Australia 14
ACT (Canberra) 10
Tasmania 7

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

Who carried it

People named Wulf,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Theodor Wulf
    Theodor Wulf 1868–1946 · astronomer
  • Johan Wulf d. 1686 · sculptor
  • Henrik Ulfvenklou 1602–1661 · merchant
  • Gudmund Wulf 1615–1693 · council member
  • Jöns Wulff 1650–1732 · decorative painter
  • Marie Wulf 1685–1738 · preacher

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 Wulf,
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 States1,091 records

1,091 records of the Wulf name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 683
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 190
  • Other U.S. records 218
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Hans H. Wulf

    Born 1907 in Germany. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Upton Yaphank, New York; farm hand. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1984, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    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 Marie Wulf

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Moltke from Hamburg, aged 25; dressmaker. From Hamburg, Germany.

    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 Paul Henry Wulf

    Born 1931; from St Louis, Missouri. U.S. Marine Corps; killed in action 1951 in Korea.

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

Showing 3 of 1,091 records for Wulf 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).

Germany1,561 records

1,561 records of the Wulf name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 1,557
  • German emigration and citizenship files 3
  • 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 Franz Wulf

    Born 1891; from Hamm i. W. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 25 November 1914; then reported missing in the list of 29 December 1916; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 21 April 1917 (Infantry Regiment No. 53).

    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 Johann Gottlieb Wulf

    Emigrated to the United States in 1859.

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

    Estate settled at Cashagen in 1878; tailor.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein (CC0)

Showing 3 of 1,561 records for Wulf 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).

Netherlands288 records

288 records of the Wulf name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 162
  • Dutch population registers 112
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 14
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Maria Adelheid Wulf

    Married in 1902 in Emmen; labourer. Died 1929 in Groningen, aged 52.

    Open Archives, Drents Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eilard Friedrich Wulf

    Married in 1893 in Renkum; draper. Died 1910 in Arnhem, aged 42; shopkeeper.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Maria Wulf

    Married in 1893 in Vlagtwedde; "arbeidersche". Died 1931 in Sellingerbeetse (Vlagtwedde), aged 75.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 288 records for Wulf 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).

Australia47 records

47 records of the Wulf name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 18
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 16
  • Other Australian records 13
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Louise Wulf

    Arrived in Queensland in 1882 aboard the Roma, aged 10.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Richard Franz Karl Wulf

    Electrician of Wodonga, Victoria; died 1990.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1909 aboard the Zieten, aged 74.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 47 records for Wulf in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Norway24 records

24 records of the Wulf name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Henrik Eduard Wulf

    Census of 1910: Hollændergaten, Kristiania; customs officer, born 1839 in Borre Prgj.

    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 Chlotilde Wulf

    Census of 1910: Ullevoldsveien, Kristiania; nurse, born 1880 in Germany.

    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 Paula Laurine Wulf

    Census of 1910: Svarholt ytre (plads), Buksnes; born 1904 in Buksnes.

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

Showing 3 of 24 records for Wulf 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).

France7 records

7 records of the Wulf 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 Christel Ida Elsa Wulf

    Born 1927 in Germany; died 1992 in Farébersviller (Moselle).

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

    Born 1940 in Lisieux (Calvados); died 1994 in Paris.

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

    Born 1913 in Russia; died 1996 in Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Wulf 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 Wulf name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Willem Wulf

    Died 1901 in Kortijk.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Kortrijk (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Carolus Wulf

    Died 1926 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 Wulf name in Canada City of Calgary cemetery records
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ingrid Wulf

    Buried in 1994 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 56.

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

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

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wulf.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Wulf 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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