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

Wheat, 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 Wheat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wheat in America

Wheat is the 3290th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wheat surname appeared 10,979 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Wheat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wheat 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 Wheat

The surname Wheat is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hwæte," meaning the cereal grain wheat. This name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or worked with wheat crops.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Wheat dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Whate" and "Whet." During this period, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical attributes, or locations associated with an individual.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Whet," "Whete," and "Whete." One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Whete, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

The surname Wheat has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Thomas Wheat (c. 1509-1578), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was Isaac Wheat (1630-1720), an English Quaker who emigrated to Pennsylvania and became one of the founders of the settlement of Burlington in 1677. He played a significant role in the early development of the colony.

In the 18th century, Silas Wheat (1718-1783) was a notable American military officer who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several key battles, including the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Monmouth.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Wheat (1832-1912), a British engineer and inventor who is best known for his contributions to the development of the modern safety bicycle. His innovative designs helped popularize cycling as a means of transportation.

In more recent times, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Wheat was Paschal N. Wheat (1900-1986), an American jurist who served as a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma from 1949 to 1971.

While the surname Wheat has English roots, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant British colonial influence, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wheat

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

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

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

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