Wainwright
An occupational surname referring to a wagon builder or repairer.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,260 Americans carry the last name Wainwright. That puts it at #4,948 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,496 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wainwright surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
8.3K
1 in 41,496
Census rank
#4,948
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,114 bearers of the surname Wainwright in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4948th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wainwright, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wainwright
The surname Wainwright originated in England, and it is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "waegn" (wagon) and "wyrhta" (worker or maker). It referred to someone who built or repaired wagons, carts, or other wheeled vehicles.
The name can be traced back to the late 12th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1194, where a person named Reginald le Wainwrighte was mentioned. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, which documented a Robert le Waynwrith.
In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Wainwright, but related occupations such as "carpenters" and "wheelwrights" are mentioned.
Over time, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Wainwright, Waynwright, Wainewright, and Wainright. Some of these variations were influenced by regional dialects and phonetic adaptations.
One of the earliest known Wainwrights was John Wainwright, born around 1350 in Yorkshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in 1379 and 1384.
Another notable individual with this surname was Thomas Wainwright (c. 1460-1522), a English Catholic priest and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1508 to 1515.
In the 16th century, a famous Wainwright was Francis Wainwright (c. 1528-1592), an English navigator and explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the world from 1577 to 1580.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Jonathan Wainwright (1608-1679) was a prominent Parliamentarian soldier and served as a Major-General in Oliver Cromwell's army.
In the literary world, Henry Wainwright (1792-1847) was an English author and poet who wrote several works, including "The Musical Drift," a collection of poems published in 1827.
The surname Wainwright has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting the diverse occupations and backgrounds of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wainwright
Among Census respondents with the surname Wainwright, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Wainwright bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Wainwright surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.8%
- Black or African American17.6%
- Hispanic or Latino2.4%
- Two or more races2.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Wainwright surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,948 | #4,948 | 0.0% |
| Count | 7,114 | 7,114 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.41 | 2.41 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Wainwright bearers went from 7,114 to 7,114 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #4,948 to #4,948.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wainwright
FAQ
Wainwright surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Wainwright?
The surname Wainwright holds position #4,948 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 8,260 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 2.41 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Wainwright surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wainwright, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Hispanic (2.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.