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

Wagstaff, 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 Wagstaff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wagstaff in America

Wagstaff is the 10553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wagstaff surname appeared 3,037 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 Wagstaff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wagstaff 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 Wagstaff

The surname Wagstaff originated in England during the Middle Ages, possibly derived from the Old English words 'waeg' meaning 'way' and 'stæf' meaning 'staff,' referring to a person who carried a staff while traveling along a path or road. Alternatively, it may have originated from a place name such as Wagstaff in Staffordshire.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Wagstaff can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the late 12th century, where it appears as 'Wacstaf.' The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to a 'William Wacstaf' in Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, variations of the name like 'Waxstaffe' and 'Wakstaffe' were recorded in various tax rolls and medieval documents across England. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a 'John Waxstaff' in Worcestershire.

The Wagstaff surname gained prominence in the 16th century, with notable individuals like Thomas Wagstaff (1645-1677), a prominent English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Another notable figure was Sir Joseph Wagstaff (1633-1700), a British merchant and Member of Parliament.

In the 18th century, Edward Wagstaff (1713-1768) was a notable English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theology and philosophy. William Wagstaff (1685-1770) was a renowned English physician and author of medical treatises.

During the 19th century, the Wagstaff family produced several notable figures, including Sir Walter Wagstaff (1815-1895), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several Arctic expeditions.

Throughout history, the Wagstaff surname has been associated with various places in England, such as the village of Wagstaff in Staffordshire, as well as locations in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and other counties where the name was historically concentrated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wagstaff

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

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

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

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