2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wedo
An occupational surname for a woodworker or carpenter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Wedo. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wedo 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Wedo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wedo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wedo
The surname WEDO originated in England during the late medieval period, likely emerging from the Old English word "wede" or "wæde," which referred to clothing or garments. This surname may have initially been an occupational name for a weaver or a person involved in the textile trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WEDO surname can be found in the Feet of Fines records for Essex, England, dated 1278, which mention a Richard Wedo. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also reference a John Wede in Buckinghamshire.
In the 14th century, the WEDO surname appeared in various forms, such as Wede, Wedow, and Wydowe, reflecting the fluidity of spelling during that era. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Worcestershire list a William Wedowe, while the Poll Tax returns of 1379 for Yorkshire include a John Wedow.
During the 15th century, the WEDO surname continued to be documented in various records across England. The Subsidy Rolls of 1428 for Buckinghamshire mention a John Wedo, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524 for Somerset list a Thomas Wedo.
One notable individual with the WEDO surname was Sir John Wedo (c. 1450 - 1520), a member of the Grocers' Company in London and an alderman of the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1512.
Another prominent figure was Richard Wedo (1550 - 1618), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Ipswich, Suffolk. He was a benefactor of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and endowed scholarships and fellowships there.
The WEDO surname was also found in various place names throughout England, such as Wedosbury (now Wednesbury) in Staffordshire, and Wedomorecroft (now Wedmore) in Somerset. These place names may have influenced the evolution and variations of the surname over time.
Other notable individuals with the WEDO surname include:
1. William Wedo (1610 - 1685), a English clergyman and author from Lincolnshire.
2. Thomas Wedo (1670 - 1745), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bristol, known for his philanthropic efforts.
3. Elizabeth Wedo (1725 - 1798), a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Gloucestershire.
4. John Wedo (1780 - 1855), a successful industrialist and manufacturer from Yorkshire, known for his innovative textile machinery.
5. Mary Wedo (1845 - 1920), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wedo
Among Census respondents with the surname Wedo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wedo 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 Wedo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wedo
Wedo 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,589 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 13,589 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 2,081 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 Wedo 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 | #139,228 | #141,309 | -1.5% |
| Count | 120 | 121 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wedo bearers went from 120 to 121 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 2,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #141,309.
FAQ
Wedo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wedo?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Wedo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Wedo?
Wedo ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Wedo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wedo.
Has Wedo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wedo went from 120 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Wedo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wedo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Wedo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wedo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Black (0.8%). 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 Wedo (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 Wedo mean?
An occupational surname for a woodworker or carpenter. 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 Wedo (0.04 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 Wedo?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Wedo, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.