2000
#3,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,384
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.11
Rare Last name
Wasson
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Wassa's town" or "town by a stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,908 Americans carry the last name Wasson. That puts it at #4,429 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,477 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wasson 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 Wasson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,477
Census rank
#4,429
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,768 bearers of the surname Wasson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4429th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wasson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wasson
The surname Wasson originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "wasso" meaning "to wash" and "sunu" meaning "son." It is believed to have been an occupational surname given to those who worked as washers or launders, particularly those involved in the wool trade.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wassonesune" in Lincolnshire. This entry suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Wassone, Wasson, and Watsone, in records from Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Cumbria. These regions were known for their thriving wool and textile industries, further supporting the occupational origin of the name.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Wasson, a knight from Northumberland who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War (1346-1353).
In the 16th century, the Wasson family established themselves in Scotland, particularly in the Borders region. One significant figure was Robert Wasson (c. 1550-1610), a prominent landowner and magistrate in Jedburgh, Scotland.
The Wassons also had a presence in Ireland, with records showing the name in County Antrim and County Down as early as the 17th century. Patrick Wasson (1680-1745), a successful merchant from Belfast, was one of the earliest known Irish bearers of the name.
Moving into the 18th century, the name Wasson gained prominence in the United States as Scottish and Irish immigrants settled in various parts of the country. One notable figure was David Wasson (1772-1848), a Revolutionary War veteran and early settler in Ohio.
In the 19th century, Isaac Wasson (1813-1888) was a prominent American educator and author who served as the president of several colleges and published works on philosophy and religion.
Another influential bearer of the name was James Wasson (1826-1898), a Scottish-born railway engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, connecting British Columbia to the rest of Canada.
These are just a few examples of individuals who carried the surname Wasson throughout history, demonstrating its longstanding presence and significance in various regions and fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wasson
Among Census respondents with the surname Wasson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wasson 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 Wasson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 6,736
- Two or more races4.0% · 312
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 292
- Black or African American3.1% · 241
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 84
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wasson
Wasson 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
#4,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,471
+87 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 293 places
2020
#4,429
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,768
-703 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Down 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,889 | 8,384 | 3.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,182 | 8,471 | 2.87 | +87 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 293 places |
| 2020 | #4,429 | 7,768 | 2.60 | -703 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 247 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 Wasson 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 | #4,182 | #4,429 | -5.9% |
| Count | 8,471 | 7,768 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.87 | 2.60 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wasson bearers went from 8,471 to 7,768 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,182 to #4,429.
FAQ
Wasson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wasson?
Name Census estimates that about 8,908 living Americans carry the surname Wasson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,477 residents.
How common is Wasson?
Wasson ranks #4,429 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,768 people with the surname Wasson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,908), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wasson.
Has Wasson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wasson went from 8,471 recorded bearers to 7,768. That is a decrease of 703 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,182 to #4,429.
What does the Census say about the background of Wasson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wasson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Wasson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (6,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wasson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Wasson (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 Wasson mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Wassa's town" or "town by a 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 Wasson (2.60 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 are called Wasson?
Find out how many people have the surname Wasson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.