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

Waggoner, 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 Waggoner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waggoner in America

Waggoner is the 2417th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waggoner surname appeared 14,983 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Waggoner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waggoner 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 Waggoner

The surname "WAGGONER" is an occupational name that originated in England and Germany in the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "wægnere" and the Middle High German word "wegener," both meaning "carter" or "wagon driver."

In England, the earliest recorded example of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "le Wagnur." The Domesday Book of 1086 also includes references to individuals with occupations related to wagon driving, such as "Radulfus Carectarius" (Ralph the Carter).

The name was particularly common in areas with a strong agricultural or trade economy, where wagon drivers played a vital role in transporting goods and produce. Some early examples include John Wagnour (1379-1429), a farmer from Oxfordshire, and William Waggoner (1492-1562), a merchant from London.

In Germany, the name was more commonly spelled "Wegener" or "Wegner." One notable bearer was Georg Philipp Wegener (1613-1678), a German philosopher and mathematician from Saxony.

As people migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the name took on various spellings, including Wagoner, Waggener, and Wagoneer. Some prominent figures with this surname include:

1. John Wagoner (1770-1852), an American Revolutionary War veteran from Pennsylvania.
2. Luther Wagoner (1856-1936), a U.S. Congressman from Missouri.
3. Porter Wagoner (1927-2007), an American country music singer and television personality.
4. David Wagoner (1926-2021), an American poet and novelist from Ohio.
5. Harley Wagoner (1914-1994), an American professional baseball player from California.

The name "WAGGONER" has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, reflecting the crucial role of wagon drivers in transportation and trade throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waggoner

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

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 Waggoner 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 Waggoner 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 Waggoner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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