2000
#31,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Waldren
A surname derived from the Germanic words meaning "ruler of the forest."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 781 Americans carry the last name Waldren. That puts it at #35,561 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 438,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waldren 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 Waldren with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
781
1 in 438,866
Census rank
#35,561
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
681
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 681 bearers of the surname Waldren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35561st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waldren, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waldren
The surname Waldren is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "weald," meaning a wooded area or forest, and "rēn," meaning a dweller or someone who inhabits a particular place. This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who lived in or near a wooded region.
One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Walderene," indicating its presence in the country during the Norman conquest.
Throughout the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Waldron, Waldrond, Waldren, and Waldern. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Sir John Waldren was documented as a knight and landowner in the county of Kent. He is believed to have played a role in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III in the mid-1200s.
Another historical figure associated with the name is William Waldren, born in 1544 in Northamptonshire. He was a prominent merchant and philanthropist who left a substantial portion of his wealth to establish a free school for the education of poor children in his hometown.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Thomas Waldren served in the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He fought in several key battles and was known for his bravery on the battlefield.
In the literary realm, John Waldren (1789-1864) was an English poet and writer who published several works, including "The Poetical Works of John Waldren" and "The Village Muse." He was celebrated for his vivid descriptions of rural life and natural scenery.
Another notable figure was Sir William Waldren (1842-1923), a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of Newfoundland from 1876 to 1881. He played a significant role in promoting the economic development of the colony during his tenure.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Waldren, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance in various contexts across England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waldren
Among Census respondents with the surname Waldren, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Waldren 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 Waldren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 543
- Two or more races7.0% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 44
- Black or African American5.1% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waldren
Waldren 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
#35,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 637
-57 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 3,815 places
2020
#35,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 681
+44 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,530 | 694 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,345 | 637 | 0.22 | -57 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 3,815 places |
| 2020 | #35,561 | 681 | 0.23 | +44 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 216 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 Waldren 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 | #35,345 | #35,561 | -0.6% |
| Count | 637 | 681 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.23 | 3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waldren bearers went from 637 to 681 (+6.9% change). The surname moved down 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,345 to #35,561.
FAQ
Waldren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waldren?
Name Census estimates that about 781 living Americans carry the surname Waldren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 438,866 residents.
How common is Waldren?
Waldren ranks #35,561 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 681 people with the surname Waldren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (781), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Waldren.
Has Waldren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waldren went from 637 recorded bearers to 681. That is an increase of 44 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,345 to #35,561.
What does the Census say about the background of Waldren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waldren, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Waldren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (543 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waldren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Two or More Races (7.0%), Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Waldren (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 Waldren mean?
A surname derived from the Germanic words meaning "ruler of the forest." 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 Waldren (0.23 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 Waldren?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Waldren is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.