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

Wagon, 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 Wagon surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Wagon in America

Wagon is the 146011th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wagon surname appeared 104 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wagon.

The history of the last name Wagon

The surname Wagon originates from England, dating back to the medieval period. It is primarily associated with the Middle Ages, appearing in areas where trade and the use of carts and wagons were prominent. The name is derived from the Old English word wægen, meaning wagon or cart, indicating that the surname was likely occupational, referring to someone who made or drove wagons.

Historical records often reference similar spellings such as Wagone, Wagen, and Waggon. The earliest known mention of the name Wagon appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like document from medieval England, where a William le Waggon was recorded in Lancashire. This suggests that the name was already in established use by the late 13th century.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not directly mention the surname Wagon, but it does include references to wagon-making and transport, reflecting the importance of such occupations in that era. Another early example includes John Wagon, who appears in records from Essex in 1348. This usage affirms the occupational nature of the surname during the period.

In the 15th century, a Thomas Wagon served as a notable craftsman in London, documented in guild records from 1475 to 1490. These records indicate his involvement in the transportation trade, further cementing the occupational origins of the name.

The Wagons of the late 16th century include examples such as Elizabeth Wagon (born 1572), a resident of Norwich, who appears in parish records. This record suggests the dispersal of the surname to different parts of England by the Renaissance period.

One of the more distinguished individuals carrying this surname was Richard Wagon (1623–1689), an influential merchant in the burgeoning colonial trade based in Bristol. His contributions to trade and commerce in the mid-17th century left a notable mark, and his name is recorded in various shipping and customs documents from that period.

The last historical figure of note is Samuel Wagon, a millwright documented in the early 18th century (1702–1761), whose work contributed to the development of infrastructure in rural parts of Yorkshire. This usage of the surname in the context of mechanized industry highlights the continued evolution and relevance of occupational surnames through centuries.

The surname Wagon, with its history rooted in trade, craftsmanship, and transport, provides a captivating glimpse into the occupational origins and societal contributions of those who bore it throughout the medieval and early modern periods in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wagon

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wagon 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!