2000
#85,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Wakelin
An English surname derived from the Middle English "Wachen" meaning "watchman" or "sentry."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 251 Americans carry the last name Wakelin. That puts it at #90,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,365,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wakelin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wakelin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
251
1 in 1,365,555
Census rank
#90,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
219
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 219 bearers of the surname Wakelin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wakelin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wakelin
The surname Wakelin originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English personal name Waccelinus, which is a diminutive form of the name Wacca, meaning "watchful" or "vigilant." The name was initially prevalent in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wakelin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where it appears as "Wacelin." The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a "Wakelyn de Drayton" from Oxfordshire.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholders in England compiled in 1086, does not include the name Wakelin or its variants. However, it does feature several entries with the root name "Wacca," suggesting the name's ancestral origins.
In the 13th century, the name Wakelin appeared in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1221, which documented legal proceedings in the royal court. One entry mentions a "Walkelinus de Ardern" from Warwickshire.
During the 14th century, the surname Wakelin was found in various historical records, such as the Patent Rolls of 1348, which reference a "John Wakelyn" from Norfolk. In the same century, a "William Wakelyn" was recorded as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1376.
Notable individuals with the surname Wakelin throughout history include:
1. Sir John Wakelin (1528-1586), Lord Mayor of London in 1585.
2. Thomas Wakelin (1616-1692), an English clergyman and author.
3. Robert Wakelin (1771-1852), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
4. George Wakelin (1834-1910), a British architect and surveyor.
5. William Wakelin (1875-1942), an English cricketer who played for Worcestershire County Cricket Club.
The surname Wakelin has also been associated with various place names, such as Wakelin Green in Hertfordshire and Wakelin Farm in Oxfordshire, which may have influenced the name's evolution and distribution across different regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wakelin
Among Census respondents with the surname Wakelin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wakelin 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 Wakelin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 191
- Two or more races4.1% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 7
- Black or African American1.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wakelin
Wakelin 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
#82,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 227
+24 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 2,735 places
2020
#90,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
-8 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 7,611 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,643 | 203 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,908 | 227 | 0.08 | +24 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 2,735 places |
| 2020 | #90,519 | 219 | 0.07 | -8 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 7,611 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 Wakelin 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 | #82,908 | #90,519 | -9.2% |
| Count | 227 | 219 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wakelin bearers went from 227 to 219 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 7,611 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,908 to #90,519.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wakelin
FAQ
Wakelin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wakelin?
Name Census estimates that about 251 living Americans carry the surname Wakelin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,365,555 residents.
How common is Wakelin?
Wakelin ranks #90,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 219 people with the surname Wakelin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wakelin.
Has Wakelin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wakelin went from 227 recorded bearers to 219. That is a decrease of 8 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #82,908 to #90,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Wakelin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wakelin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Wakelin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wakelin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Wakelin (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 Wakelin mean?
An English surname derived from the Middle English "Wachen" meaning "watchman" or "sentry." 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 Wakelin (0.07 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 Wakelin?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Wakelin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.