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

Wallen, 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 Wallen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wallen in America

Wallen is the 4763rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wallen surname appeared 7,436 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Wallen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wallen 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 Wallen

The surname Wallen originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "walh" or "wallae," meaning "foreigner" or "stranger." It was likely used as a descriptive name for someone who had come from another region or country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wallen can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Walensis," referring to people of Welsh descent living in England. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals of Welsh origin.

During the 13th century, the name Wallen began to appear in various forms, such as "Waleys," "Wallensis," and "Wallon," in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire. These variations likely resulted from regional dialects and spelling variations.

In the 14th century, the name Wallen was associated with several notable individuals, including John Wallen (c. 1320-1389), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Wallen (c. 1350-1420), a knight and landowner from Worcestershire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Wallen continued to be found in various parts of England, with some variations in spelling, such as "Wallin" and "Wallens." One notable bearer of the name from this period was William Wallen (c. 1570-1640), a Puritan minister and author from Gloucestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the name Wallen spread across England and beyond, with bearers of the name found in various professions and walks of life. Some notable individuals with the surname Wallen include John Wallen (1771-1854), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Henry Wallen (1819-1893), an English architect and surveyor known for his work on several churches and public buildings.

Other notable figures with the surname Wallen include Arthur Wallen (1865-1948), a British civil engineer and inventor of the Wallen process for purifying sewage, and Sir Henry Wallen (1887-1965), a British diplomat and author who served as Ambassador to Turkey and Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wallen

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

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

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

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