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

Wedgwood, 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 Wedgwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wedgwood in America

Wedgwood is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wedgwood surname appeared 210 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 Wedgwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wedgwood 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 Wedgwood

The surname Wedgwood is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wedg" meaning "wedge" and "wudu" meaning "wood", suggesting that it may have originally referred to someone who lived near a wedge-shaped piece of woodland or perhaps worked as a woodcutter or forester.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Wedgwood appear in various medieval documents and charters from the county of Staffordshire, England. For example, a Thomas de Wedgewood is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1286. This suggests that the name likely originated in this region and may have been associated with a specific place or location.

Over time, variations in spelling emerged, such as Wedgewode, Weggewode, and Weggewood. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the personal preferences of record keepers and scribes. It is also possible that the name was influenced by the Old English words "weg" meaning "way" or "path" and "wudu" meaning "wood", which could suggest a connection to someone living near a wooded path or road.

One of the most notable individuals to bear the surname Wedgwood was Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795), the renowned English potter and entrepreneur who pioneered many innovative techniques and founded the world-famous Wedgwood pottery company. His contributions to the industry and his dedication to quality and design helped establish the Wedgwood name as a symbol of excellence in ceramics.

Other historical figures with the surname Wedgwood include Ralph Wedgwood (1766-1837), a British politician and Member of Parliament; Hensleigh Wedgwood (1803-1891), a philologist and scholar; Josiah Wedgwood II (1769-1843), a potter and industrialist who succeeded his father in running the family business; and Julia Wedgwood (1833-1913), an English writer and activist.

While the Wedgwood surname has ancient roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and marriage. However, its enduring connections to Staffordshire and the pottery industry have cemented its place in British history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wedgwood

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

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

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

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