2010
#65,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Wachira
A surname likely originating from Kenya, possibly meaning "firstborn".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 477 Americans carry the last name Wachira. That puts it at #53,634 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 718,563 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wachira surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
477
1 in 718,563
Census rank
#53,634
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
416
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 416 bearers of the surname Wachira in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53634th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wachira, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wachira
The surname Wachira originated in Kenya and can be traced back to the 18th century. It is a name of Bantu origin, derived from the word "wachi," which means "strong" or "powerful" in the Kikuyu language. The name was initially associated with the Kikuyu people, who are one of the largest ethnic groups in Kenya.
Early records of the name Wachira can be found in local village records and oral histories passed down through generations. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Wachira Kanja, a respected elder and warrior in the late 1700s who was renowned for his bravery and leadership during conflicts with neighboring tribes.
As the Kikuyu people migrated and settled in different regions of Kenya, the name Wachira spread across the country. It became particularly prevalent in areas around Mount Kenya and the central highlands, where the Kikuyu have traditionally lived.
In the 19th century, the name Wachira appeared in colonial records and documents kept by British administrators. One notable figure was Wachira wa Kanja (1875-1943), a prominent elder and advisor to the colonial government, known for his efforts to preserve Kikuyu culture and traditions.
Another famous individual with the surname Wachira was Jomo Kenyatta (1894-1978), the first President of Kenya after the country gained independence from Britain in 1963. Although his birth name was Kamau wa Ngengi, he later adopted the name Kenyatta, which is derived from the Kikuyu word "kenyatta" meaning "bright light" or "founder of a new nation."
Other notable individuals with the surname Wachira include Wachira Maina (1905-1988), a respected elder and traditional healer; Wachira Gatere (1921-2001), a prominent businessman and philanthropist; and Wachira Karani (1932-2008), a celebrated author and poet who wrote extensively about Kikuyu culture and folklore.
While the surname Wachira is most commonly associated with the Kikuyu people, it has also been adopted by other Kenyan communities over time, reflecting the country's rich cultural diversity and the intermingling of various ethnic groups.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wachira
Among Census respondents with the surname Wachira, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wachira bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wachira surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.3% · 380
- White3.8% · 16
- Two or more races3.1% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wachira
Wachira appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#53,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 416
+116 bearers (+38.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 12,330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #65,964 | 300 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #53,634 | 416 | 0.14 | +116 bearers (+38.7%) | Up 12,330 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wachira surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #65,964 | #53,634 | 18.7% |
| Count | 300 | 416 | 38.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.14 | 39.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wachira bearers went from 300 to 416 (+38.7% change). The surname moved up 12,330 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,964 to #53,634.
FAQ
Wachira surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wachira?
Name Census estimates that about 477 living Americans carry the surname Wachira. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 718,563 residents.
How common is Wachira?
Wachira ranks #53,634 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 416 people with the surname Wachira. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wachira.
Has Wachira become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wachira went from 300 recorded bearers to 416. That is an increase of 116 (+38.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #65,964 to #53,634.
What does the Census say about the background of Wachira?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wachira, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wachira in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wachira appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.3%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wachira (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wachira mean?
A surname likely originating from Kenya, possibly meaning "firstborn". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wachira (0.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Wachira?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Wachira on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.