Wainwright
Wagon builder or wheelwright from the Old English.
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Wainwright. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wainwright today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wainwright births was 1942 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wainwright. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Wainwright is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Wainwrights were born before 1959.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wainwright. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1942
6 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1942 SSA rank
#3,545
Tracked since 1942
Popularity
Wainwright: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wainwright by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wainwright during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Wainwright
The name Wainwright has its origins in the Old English language, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain between the 5th and 11th centuries. It is a compound word derived from the Old English words "woegn" meaning wagon and "wyrtha" meaning wright or maker. Therefore, Wainwright essentially translates to "wagon maker" or "wagon builder".
This occupational surname was initially used to refer to skilled craftsmen who constructed and repaired wagons and carts. As these professions were essential in Medieval times for transportation and trade, the name Wainwright became quite widespread across various regions of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wainwright can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ordered by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a person named Wainwright who held land in the county of Warwickshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Wainwright. One of the most famous was Thomas Wainwright (c. 1460-1522), an English poet and music theorist who served as the headmaster of the prestigious St. Paul's School in London. Another prominent Wainwright was Jonathan Wainwright (1883-1953), a highly decorated American military officer who fought in World War I and later commanded the Allied forces in the Philippines during World War II.
In the realm of literature, Henry Wainwright (1615-1679) was a notable English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation. Meanwhile, John Wainwright (1921-1995) was a renowned British playwright and screenwriter, known for his collaborations with renowned directors like Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean.
Another significant figure bearing the name Wainwright was Richard Wainwright (1918-2003), a British businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the famous Wainwright prize, an annual award given for outstanding works of nature writing and travel writing.
People
Wainwright + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wainwright as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wainwright: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wainwright?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wainwright going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Wainwright a common name?
We classify Wainwright as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wainwright most popular?
The single biggest year for Wainwright was 1942, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wainwright is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wainwright in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wainwright a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wainwright in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Wainwright still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wainwright in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wainwright can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Wainwright?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.