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

Wenham, 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 Wenham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wenham in America

Wenham is the 67519th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wenham surname appeared 292 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 Wenham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wenham 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 Wenham

The surname Wenham is of English origin and can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is a locational name derived from the place name Wenham, which is found in both Norfolk and Suffolk counties in England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "wen" meaning "hill" or "mound" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wenham dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wenham" in reference to the village of the same name in Norfolk. This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as "de Wenham" and "atte Wenham", indicating the person's connection to the place. For example, in the Testa de Nevill, a collection of legal documents from the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a "William de Wenham" is mentioned as holding land in Suffolk.

Notably, in the 14th century, a prominent figure named Thomas Wenham (c. 1330-1390) held the position of Chief Baron of the Exchequer in England. He was a distinguished lawyer and judge during the reign of King Edward III.

Another notable individual was Sir John Wenham (c. 1565-1628), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Suffolk. He was also a prominent figure in the Virginia Company, which played a crucial role in the establishment of the English colonies in North America.

In the 17th century, the surname gained further recognition with Thomas Wenham (1638-1689), an Anglican clergyman and philosopher. He is known for his work on the science of motion and for proposing a theory of the circulation of blood before William Harvey's landmark discoveries.

The name Wenham has also been associated with place names in other parts of the world, such as Wenham, Massachusetts in the United States, which was likely named after the English town by early settlers.

Throughout history, the surname Wenham has maintained its connection to its English roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including lawyers, politicians, clergymen, and landowners.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wenham

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

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

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

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