2000
#8,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,476
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Wagers
An occupational surname for a person who made or sold wax candles or other wax products.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,096 Americans carry the last name Wagers. That puts it at #8,812 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,680 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wagers 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
4.1K
1 in 83,680
Census rank
#8,812
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,572 bearers of the surname Wagers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8812th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wagers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wagers
The surname Wagers is of English origin, having derived from the Old English word 'wægere', which referred to a person who engaged in wagering or betting activities. This occupation-based surname emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.
The earliest recorded instance of the Wagers surname can be traced back to the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it appeared as 'Wagerus'. This historical document provides evidence of the name's usage during the medieval period.
Over the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Wager, Wagere, and Wayger, before eventually settling on the modern form of Wagers. Some of these variations can be found in ancient records like the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a 'John le Wagere'.
Interestingly, the Wagers surname is also closely linked to certain place names in England. For instance, the village of Wager Halfe in Derbyshire is believed to have derived its name from the Wagers family who once resided there.
One notable bearer of the Wagers surname was William Wagers (1592-1668), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious treatises during the 17th century. Another prominent figure was Sir Charles Wagers (1666-1743), a renowned British naval officer who played a significant role in various naval campaigns and battles.
In the literary realm, Mary Wagers (1832-1907) was an English novelist and playwright known for her works such as "The Rector's Wife" and "The Duke's Marriage". Meanwhile, John Wagers (1774-1846) was a British naval officer and explorer who led expeditions to the Arctic regions and contributed to the mapping of previously uncharted territories.
Lastly, Edward Wagers (1810-1882) deserves mention as a notable English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) during the 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wagers
Among Census respondents with the surname Wagers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wagers 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 Wagers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 3,298
- Two or more races3.9% · 138
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wagers
Wagers appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,544
+68 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 499 places
2020
#8,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,572
+28 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 391 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,704 | 3,476 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,203 | 3,544 | 1.20 | +68 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 499 places |
| 2020 | #8,812 | 3,572 | 1.20 | +28 bearers (+0.8%) | Up 391 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 Wagers 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 | #9,203 | #8,812 | 4.2% |
| Count | 3,544 | 3,572 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.20 | -0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wagers bearers went from 3,544 to 3,572 (+0.8% change). The surname moved up 391 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,203 to #8,812.
FAQ
Wagers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wagers?
Name Census estimates that about 4,096 living Americans carry the surname Wagers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,680 residents.
How common is Wagers?
Wagers ranks #8,812 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,572 people with the surname Wagers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,096), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wagers.
Has Wagers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wagers went from 3,544 recorded bearers to 3,572. That is an increase of 28 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,203 to #8,812.
What does the Census say about the background of Wagers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wagers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wagers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (3,298 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wagers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Wagers (2000, 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 Wagers mean?
An occupational surname for a person who made or sold wax candles or other wax products. 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 Wagers (1.20 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 many people have the last name Wagers?
Want to know how many people are called Wagers? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.