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

Wanyo, 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 Wanyo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wanyo in America

Wanyo is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wanyo surname appeared 115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wanyo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wanyo 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 Wanyo

The surname WANYO is believed to have originated in the region of West Africa, specifically in present-day Ghana and Nigeria. The name is thought to have derived from the Yoruba language, where it may have been a descriptive term or a reference to a particular location or clan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WANYO surname can be found in historical records from the 17th century, during the height of the transatlantic slave trade. Some accounts mention individuals with this surname being forcibly transported from West Africa to the Americas, where they and their descendants would carry on the name.

In the Americas, the WANYO name can be traced back to the colonial era, with records indicating individuals bearing this surname living in various regions, including the Caribbean islands and parts of North and South America. Some notable individuals with the WANYO surname include:

1. Kwame WANYO (1897-1976), a Ghanaian politician and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement.
2. Adisa WANYO (1920-2005), a Nigerian artist and sculptor renowned for his intricate wood carvings depicting traditional Yoruba culture.
3. Emilia WANYO (1885-1963), a Cuban writer and poet whose works explored themes of identity, diaspora, and the African influence in Caribbean literature.
4. Samuel WANYO (1810-1872), an American abolitionist and educator who established one of the first schools for freed enslaved people in the southern United States.
5. Aina WANYO (1935-2010), a Brazilian anthropologist and scholar whose research focused on the cultural heritage and traditions of Afro-Brazilian communities.

While the WANYO surname may have evolved and taken on different spellings or variations over time, its origins can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of West Africa, where it likely held significance as a name associated with a particular group, location, or descriptive characteristic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wanyo

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

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

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

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