2000
#9,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Wardlaw
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place meaning "enclosed area by a lake or stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,752 Americans carry the last name Wardlaw. That puts it at #9,503 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,352 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wardlaw 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 Wardlaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 91,352
Census rank
#9,503
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,272 bearers of the surname Wardlaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9503rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wardlaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wardlaw
The surname Wardlaw originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "weard" meaning "watch" and "hlaw" meaning "hill" or "mound." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or mound that served as a lookout point.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 12th century in the county of Roxburghshire, Scotland. A notable early bearer of the name was Sir Henry de Wardlaw, who was recorded as the Sheriff of Roxburghshire in 1296.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Wardlaw family held lands and properties in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around the town of Dryburgh. The name appears in various medieval charters and records from this area.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Wardlaw was Walter Wardlaw (c. 1390-1470), who served as the Bishop of Glasgow from 1368 to 1387 and later became the Bishop of St. Andrews, one of the most influential positions in the Scottish church at the time.
In the 15th century, the Wardlaw family established themselves as lairds (landed gentry) in the county of Fife, where they held the estate of Torry. A notable member from this line was Sir Henry Wardlaw of Torry (c. 1500-1570), who was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation.
Other notable individuals with the surname Wardlaw include Ralph Wardlaw (c. 1510-1589), a Scottish nobleman and landowner in East Lothian, and William Wardlaw (c. 1550-1617), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of St. Andrews in the early 17th century.
Over time, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Wardlaw, Wardlawe, and Wardelaw, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations common in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wardlaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Wardlaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wardlaw 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 Wardlaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.2% · 1,903
- Black or African American33.9% · 1,109
- Two or more races4.0% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wardlaw
Wardlaw 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
#9,720
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,337
+196 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 229 places
2020
#9,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,272
-65 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 217 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,491 | 3,141 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,720 | 3,337 | 1.13 | +196 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 229 places |
| 2020 | #9,503 | 3,272 | 1.09 | -65 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 217 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 Wardlaw 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 | #9,720 | #9,503 | 2.2% |
| Count | 3,337 | 3,272 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.09 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wardlaw bearers went from 3,337 to 3,272 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 217 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,720 to #9,503.
FAQ
Wardlaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wardlaw?
Name Census estimates that about 3,752 living Americans carry the surname Wardlaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,352 residents.
How common is Wardlaw?
Wardlaw ranks #9,503 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,272 people with the surname Wardlaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,752), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wardlaw.
Has Wardlaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wardlaw went from 3,337 recorded bearers to 3,272. That is a decrease of 65 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,720 to #9,503.
What does the Census say about the background of Wardlaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wardlaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Wardlaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.2% (1,903 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wardlaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.2%), Black (33.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Wardlaw (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 Wardlaw mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place meaning "enclosed area by a lake or stream." 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 Wardlaw (1.09 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 Wardlaw?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.