2000
#6,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,983
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.85
Rare Last name
Wales
A surname indicating a person's origins in the country of Wales or an ancestor from there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,492 Americans carry the last name Wales. That puts it at #6,770 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,410 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wales 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 Wales with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,410
Census rank
#6,770
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,789 bearers of the surname Wales in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6770th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wales, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wales
The surname Wales originates from the country of Wales, located in the United Kingdom. It is believed to have its roots in the Old English word "Walesc" or "Wealas," which referred to people of Celtic or Briton descent.
The name was likely first used as a descriptive term to identify individuals who were either born in Wales or had Welsh ancestry. Over time, it became adopted as a hereditary surname, particularly in the medieval period when surnames became more prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wales can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Wales or similar spellings, such as "Waleis" or "Walensis."
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Wales was Sir John Wales, a knight who served under King Edward I during the Welsh Wars. He was granted lands in Wales for his military service and is believed to have been one of the first to use the surname Wales as a hereditary designation.
Another prominent individual with the surname Wales was Sir David Wales, a Welsh landowner and military commander who lived during the 14th century. He played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence and was a close ally of King Edward III.
During the 15th century, the surname Wales can be found in various historical records, including court documents and parish registers. One notable example is William Wales, a scholar and astronomer who lived from 1476 to 1549. He was appointed the first Royal Lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and made significant contributions to the field of astronomy.
In the 16th century, the surname Wales was associated with several notable figures, including Thomas Wales, a Welsh clergyman and author who lived from 1530 to 1592. He published several works on theology and served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral.
Another individual of note was Samuel Wales, a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1604 to 1668. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and was one of the first to calculate the orbit of Halley's Comet.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the surname Wales. The name has endured over centuries and continues to be associated with its Welsh origins and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wales
Among Census respondents with the surname Wales, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wales 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 Wales surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 4,081
- Black or African American5.7% · 273
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 167
- Two or more races3.5% · 166
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wales
Wales 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
#6,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,133
+150 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 307 places
2020
#6,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,789
-344 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,295 | 4,983 | 1.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,602 | 5,133 | 1.74 | +150 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 307 places |
| 2020 | #6,770 | 4,789 | 1.60 | -344 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 168 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 Wales 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 | #6,602 | #6,770 | -2.5% |
| Count | 5,133 | 4,789 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.60 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wales bearers went from 5,133 to 4,789 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 168 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,602 to #6,770.
FAQ
Wales surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wales?
Name Census estimates that about 5,492 living Americans carry the surname Wales. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,410 residents.
How common is Wales?
Wales ranks #6,770 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,789 people with the surname Wales. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,492), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Wales.
Has Wales become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wales went from 5,133 recorded bearers to 4,789. That is a decrease of 344 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,602 to #6,770.
What does the Census say about the background of Wales?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wales, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Wales in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (4,081 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wales appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Black (5.7%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Wales (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 Wales mean?
A surname indicating a person's origins in the country of Wales or an ancestor from there. 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 Wales (1.60 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 Americans have the surname Wales?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.