2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wanket
A surname potentially derived from an obscene insult or pejorative term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Wanket. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wanket 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.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Wanket in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wanket, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wanket
The surname WANKET has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "wancol," which means "unsteady" or "feeble." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was frail or clumsy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WANKET name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Wankyn." This spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period, as they were often adapted to local dialects and pronunciation.
In the 14th century, the name WANKET appeared in various historical documents, including the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it was recorded as "Wankette." This record provides evidence of the surname's continued use and slight variations in spelling.
During the 16th century, the WANKET surname became more widespread across England. Notable individuals bearing this name included John WANKET (1512-1578), a merchant from Bristol, and William WANKET (1542-1611), a landowner in Gloucestershire.
As the centuries progressed, the WANKET name spread further afield. In the 18th century, James WANKET (1721-1795) was a prominent lawyer in London, while in the 19th century, Mary WANKET (1832-1901) was a notable educator and author from Yorkshire.
Another significant figure in the history of the WANKET surname was Sir Robert WANKET (1867-1941), a British politician and Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party in the early 20th century.
Other notable individuals with the WANKET surname include the explorer and naturalist Thomas WANKET (1789-1856), who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the Americas, and the renowned artist and sculptor Elizabeth WANKET (1901-1985), whose works are featured in several prestigious galleries around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wanket
Among Census respondents with the surname Wanket, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wanket 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 Wanket surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wanket
Wanket 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,070 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 725 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 19,070 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 725 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 Wanket 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 | #154,907 | #154,182 | 0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 103 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wanket bearers went from 105 to 103 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 725 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,182.
FAQ
Wanket surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wanket?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Wanket. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Wanket?
Wanket ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Wanket. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wanket.
Has Wanket become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wanket went from 105 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Wanket?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wanket, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Wanket in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wanket appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Wanket (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 Wanket mean?
A surname potentially derived from an obscene insult or pejorative term. 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 Wanket (0.03 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 share the surname Wanket?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.