2000
#1,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,734
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.06
Uncommon Last name
Wesley
From a place name meaning "west meadow," or from a diminutive of the given name Wass.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,214 Americans carry the last name Wesley. That puts it at #1,592 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wesley 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 Wesley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,594
Census rank
#1,592
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,988 bearers of the surname Wesley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1592nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wesley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.1%. The next largest groups are White (39.1%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wesley
The surname Wesley has its origins in the English county of Dorset, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wesl" and "leah," meaning "a meadow where the stream turns" or "a meadow by the bend of a river." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a location or settlement near a winding stream or river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wesley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Welleslegh." This entry refers to a place in Somerset, indicating the geographical roots of the surname.
During the 13th century, various spellings of the name emerged, including "Welleslee," "Welesley," and "Wellesley." These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the inconsistencies in spelling practices at that time.
In the 14th century, the name Wesley began to appear more frequently in official records and documents. One notable individual from this period was John Wesley (c. 1310 - c. 1370), a landowner and member of the gentry in Dorset.
The Wesley family continued to hold prominence in the following centuries. Sir William Wesley (c. 1450 - 1510) was a distinguished soldier and diplomat during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London and was knighted for his military services.
The most famous bearer of the Wesley surname is undoubtedly John Wesley (1703 - 1791), the renowned Anglican cleric and theologian who founded the Methodist movement. Born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, he played a pivotal role in the Protestant Reformation and had a profound impact on Christian theology and practices.
Another notable Wesley was Samuel Wesley (1662 - 1735), a poet and writer who served as a minister in the Church of England. He was also the father of John Wesley and Charles Wesley (1707 - 1788), who was a co-founder of the Methodist movement and a prolific hymn writer.
In the realm of literature, William Wesley (1837 - 1914) was a notable English bibliographer and bookseller, known for his expertise in natural history publications.
Throughout its history, the surname Wesley has been associated with various prominent individuals across fields such as religion, literature, and public service, reflecting the name's enduring presence and significance in English society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wesley
Among Census respondents with the surname Wesley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.1%. The next largest groups are White (39.1%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wesley 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 Wesley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.1% · 10,574
- White39.1% · 8,595
- Two or more races5.7% · 1,259
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 752
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 553
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 255
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wesley
Wesley 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
#1,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,135
+1,401 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 7.84
Rank movement Down 43 places
2020
#1,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,988
-1,147 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 7.36
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,512 | 21,734 | 8.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,555 | 23,135 | 7.84 | +1,401 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 43 places |
| 2020 | #1,592 | 21,988 | 7.36 | -1,147 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 37 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 Wesley 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 | #1,555 | #1,592 | -2.4% |
| Count | 23,135 | 21,988 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 7.84 | 7.36 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wesley bearers went from 23,135 to 21,988 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,555 to #1,592.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wesley
FAQ
Wesley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wesley?
Name Census estimates that about 25,214 living Americans carry the surname Wesley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,594 residents.
How common is Wesley?
Wesley ranks #1,592 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,988 people with the surname Wesley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Wesley.
Has Wesley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wesley went from 23,135 recorded bearers to 21,988. That is a decrease of 1,147 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,555 to #1,592.
What does the Census say about the background of Wesley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wesley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.1%. The next largest groups are White (39.1%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wesley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.1% (10,574 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wesley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (48.1%), White (39.1%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Wesley (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 Wesley mean?
From a place name meaning "west meadow," or from a diminutive of the given name Wass. 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 Wesley (7.36 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 have the last name Wesley?
Want to know how common the surname Wesley is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.