Find out how popular the last name Wagar is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wagar.

Wagar, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wagar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wagar in America

Wagar is the 17176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wagar surname appeared 1,649 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wagar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wagar to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wagar

The surname Wagar is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "wag" or "waeg," meaning "to move" or "to waver," and "here," meaning "army." Thus, the name may have initially referred to a soldier or someone associated with military service.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wagar" in reference to a landowner in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name had already been established by the 11th century and may have been associated with people of some social standing or landholding status.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appears to have taken on various spellings, including Wager, Waghor, and Wagher, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions at the time. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes or record-keepers.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Wager (c. 1586-1633), an English politician and member of Parliament for Thetford, Norfolk, during the reign of King James I. He was known for his involvement in the Virginia Company and the colonization efforts in North America.

Another significant figure was Sir Charles Wager (1666-1743), a British naval officer who served as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1733 to 1742. He played a crucial role in several naval engagements during the War of the Spanish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession.

In the literary world, Henry Wager Halleck (1815-1872) was an American poet and author best known for his work "Fanny," a satirical poem published in 1856. He also served as a military officer during the American Civil War and was appointed as the 16th Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

The name Wagar has also been associated with several places in England, such as Wagar's Hill in Derbyshire and Wagar's Green in Lancashire. These place names may have derived from individuals bearing the surname or vice versa, reflecting the interconnectedness between surnames and geographic locations.

Additionally, the surname Wagar has been documented in various historical records, including parish registers, court records, and military rolls, further solidifying its presence throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wagar

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wagar.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wagar was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wagar has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wagar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wagar, please contact us.

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