2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wedwick
An English surname possibly referring to someone from a remote dwelling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Wedwick. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wedwick 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Wedwick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wedwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wedwick
The surname Wedwick originated in the northern regions of England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from an Old English place name, possibly referring to a village or settlement near a creek or stream. The prefix "wed" or "wad" is thought to be derived from the Old English word "wæd," meaning a ford or a shallow part of a river.
One of the earliest known records of the Wedwick surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1379, where a William Wedwick is mentioned as a landowner and taxpayer. The name also appears in various parish records and manorial rolls throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, often spelled as Wedwyke, Wedwike, or Wedwicke.
In the late 16th century, a prominent figure named John Wedwick (1545-1618) served as a member of the English Parliament, representing the constituency of Appleby, Westmorland. He was a wealthy landowner and a staunch supporter of the Protestant Reformation.
During the 17th century, the Wedwick family gained prominence in the city of York, where a branch of the family owned several mills and breweries. Notable members of this branch include Thomas Wedwick (1612-1684), a successful merchant and alderman of York, and his son, William Wedwick (1649-1712), who served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1697.
Another notable figure bearing the Wedwick surname was Elizabeth Wedwick (1732-1810), a renowned author and poet from Lancashire. Her collection of poems, titled "Pastoral Elegies," was highly acclaimed and widely read in literary circles of the time.
In the 19th century, the Wedwick family continued to be well-established in various parts of England, with several members serving in the military and holding positions of influence in local government and industry. One such individual was Major General Sir Richard Wedwick (1820-1892), a distinguished officer in the British Army who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.
While the Wedwick surname may not be as common today as it once was, it has left an indelible mark on the history and culture of England, particularly in the northern regions where it originated. The name serves as a reminder of the rich tapestry of place names and linguistic influences that have shaped the English language and its many surnames over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wedwick
Among Census respondents with the surname Wedwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wedwick 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 Wedwick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wedwick
Wedwick 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,922 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 780 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,922 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 780 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 Wedwick 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 | #153,769 | #152,989 | 0.5% |
| Count | 106 | 105 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wedwick bearers went from 106 to 105 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 780 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #152,989.
FAQ
Wedwick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wedwick?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Wedwick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Wedwick?
Wedwick ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Wedwick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Wedwick.
Has Wedwick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wedwick went from 106 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Wedwick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wedwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Wedwick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wedwick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Hispanic (1.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Wedwick (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 Wedwick mean?
An English surname possibly referring to someone from a remote dwelling. 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 Wedwick (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 Americans have the surname Wedwick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.