2000
#7,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Warnick
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Warna's creek" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,234 Americans carry the last name Warnick. That puts it at #8,555 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,953 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Warnick 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
4.2K
1 in 80,953
Census rank
#8,555
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,692 bearers of the surname Warnick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8555th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Warnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Warnick
The surname Warnick originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "waern" meaning "shelter" or "dwelling," and "wic" meaning "village" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a sheltered or protected village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Warnick can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1196, where it appears as "Warnewich." This spelling variation likely stems from the place name Warwick, indicating that the name may have originated in or near that area.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Warnewick" and "Warnewyk," further reinforcing its connection to the town of Warwick. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a "John de Warnewick," suggesting that the name had become an established surname by that time.
During the 14th century, the name Warnick began to appear more frequently in historical records. The Poll Tax Returns of 1379 include entries for a "William Warnewyke" and a "John Warnewyke," both from Worcestershire.
One notable figure with the surname Warnick was Sir John Warnick (c. 1490-1568), a Member of Parliament and landowner from Warwickshire. He played a significant role in the local administration and represented Warwickshire in the Parliament of 1555.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Warnick (1615-1677), an English Puritan minister and author. He served as the rector of Chadwell St. Mary in Essex and wrote several religious works, including "The Christian's Consolation" and "A Treatise on Baptism."
In the 18th century, the name Warnick gained further prominence with the birth of Robert Warnick (1745-1819), a Scottish physician and botanist. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life and served as the president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
The 19th century saw the rise of John Warnick (1828-1904), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his generous donations to educational institutions and charitable organizations in Glasgow.
Another notable figure was Mary Warnick (1862-1943), an American suffragist and activist. She played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement and fought tirelessly for women's rights and equality.
These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname Warnick and its association with individuals from various walks of life, including politics, religion, science, business, and social reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Warnick
Among Census respondents with the surname Warnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Warnick 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 Warnick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 3,364
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 109
- Black or African American2.7% · 100
- Two or more races2.7% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Warnick
Warnick 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
#7,730
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,295
+302 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 42 places
2020
#8,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,692
-603 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 825 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,688 | 3,993 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,730 | 4,295 | 1.46 | +302 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 42 places |
| 2020 | #8,555 | 3,692 | 1.24 | -603 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 825 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 Warnick 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 | #7,730 | #8,555 | -10.7% |
| Count | 4,295 | 3,692 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.24 | -15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Warnick bearers went from 4,295 to 3,692 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 825 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,730 to #8,555.
FAQ
Warnick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Warnick?
Name Census estimates that about 4,234 living Americans carry the surname Warnick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,953 residents.
How common is Warnick?
Warnick ranks #8,555 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,692 people with the surname Warnick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,234), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Warnick.
Has Warnick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Warnick went from 4,295 recorded bearers to 3,692. That is a decrease of 603 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,730 to #8,555.
What does the Census say about the background of Warnick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Warnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.7%). 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 Warnick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (3,364 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Warnick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Black (2.7%). 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 Warnick (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 Warnick mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Warna's creek" in Old English. 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 Warnick (1.24 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 have the last name Warnick?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Warnick, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.