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

Wass, 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 Wass surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wass in America

Wass is the 16707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wass surname appeared 1,713 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wass.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wass 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 Wass

The surname Wass is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "wæsse", which means a marsh or a boggy area. This name first arose in areas of England that were characterized by marshy or wetland terrain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wasse" in reference to an individual residing in Nottinghamshire. The name continued to evolve over time, with various spellings like Wase, Wasse, Whas, and Whass emerging in different regions of England.

During the Middle Ages, the Wass family established itself in Yorkshire, where they held lands and properties near the town of Wass, which likely took its name from the same Old English root. This connection to a specific place contributed to the widespread adoption of Wass as a hereditary surname.

Notable historical figures bearing the Wass surname include Sir John Wass (c. 1512-1578), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Yorkshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another noteworthy individual was Christopher Wass (c. 1654-1712), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Glendalough in Ireland.

In Scotland, the name Wass is associated with the Clan Gunn, a Highland Scottish clan with roots in Caithness. One of the earliest recorded members of this clan was Alexander Wass (c. 1550-1620), a prominent landowner and chieftain of the Clan Gunn.

The Wass family also had a presence in Ireland, with records indicating that members of the family settled in County Westmeath and County Longford during the 17th century. One notable individual from this branch was Robert Wass (c. 1690-1768), an Irish landowner and magistrate.

Over the centuries, the Wass surname has been carried by various individuals across different fields, including military leaders, clergymen, landowners, and scholars. While not as numerous as some other English surnames, the name Wass has left its mark on the historical records of several regions, reflecting its origins in the marshy landscapes of ancient England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wass

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

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

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

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