Wheaton
An English surname derived from a place name referring to wheat cultivation.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Wheaton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wheaton today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wheaton births was 1922 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wheaton. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wheaton. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#4,944
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Wheaton: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wheaton 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 Wheaton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Wheaton
The name Wheaton is believed to have originated from Old English, derived from the word "hwætan," which means "wheat" or "wheaten." It is a locational surname that likely referred to someone who lived near wheat fields or was associated with the cultivation of wheat.
Historically, the name Wheaton can be traced back to the 11th century in England, where it was used as a surname for people living in places with names like Wheaton Aston in Staffordshire or Wheaton in Cheshire. The earliest recorded instance of the name Wheaton as a first name dates back to the late 16th century.
One of the earliest known references to the name Wheaton can be found in the records of St. Dunstan's Church in Cranbrook, Kent, where a person named Wheaton Brome was mentioned in 1582. Another early record is from the Parish Register of St. Mary's Church in Fawley, Hampshire, which includes the name Wheaton Cooke, born in 1597.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the first name Wheaton. One of the earliest was Wheaton Hiere (1608-1659), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bockleton in Worcestershire. Another prominent figure was Wheaton Bradbridge (1670-1732), a London merchant and philanthropist who founded the Bradbridge Hospital in London.
In the 19th century, Wheaton Hibbard (1824-1890) gained recognition as an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate. Another notable individual from this period was Wheaton J. Lane (1828-1903), an American educator and author who served as the president of Randolph-Macon College in Virginia.
One of the most famous individuals named Wheaton was Wheaton College, founded in 1860 in Wheaton, Illinois, and named after the prominent abolitionist and educator Jonathan Blanchard. The college was initially called Illinois Institute, and its name was changed to Wheaton College in 1860 to honor Blanchard's efforts in establishing the institution.
While the name Wheaton has its roots in Old English and has been present throughout history, it has remained a relatively uncommon first name, especially in modern times. However, its rich historical context and connections to notable individuals continue to make it a distinctive and intriguing choice.
People
Wheaton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wheaton 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
Wheaton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wheaton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wheaton 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 - US residents.
Is Wheaton a common name?
We classify Wheaton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wheaton most popular?
The single biggest year for Wheaton was 1922, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wheaton is about 0 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 Wheaton in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wheaton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wheaton 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 Wheaton still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wheaton 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 Wheaton 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 share the name Wheaton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.