2000
#3,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,855
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.02
Uncommon Last name
Wheat
An occupational surname for a grower or seller of wheat, or someone living near wheat fields.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,984 Americans carry the last name Wheat. That puts it at #3,355 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,601 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wheat 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 Wheat with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,601
Census rank
#3,355
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,451 bearers of the surname Wheat in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3355th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wheat, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wheat
Among Census respondents with the surname Wheat, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Wheat 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 Wheat surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 8,177
- Black or African American12.5% · 1,303
- Two or more races4.2% · 442
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 382
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wheat
Wheat 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
#3,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,979
+124 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Down 228 places
2020
#3,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,451
-528 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 3.50
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,062 | 10,855 | 4.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,290 | 10,979 | 3.72 | +124 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 228 places |
| 2020 | #3,355 | 10,451 | 3.50 | -528 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 65 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 Wheat 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 | #3,290 | #3,355 | -2.0% |
| Count | 10,979 | 10,451 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.72 | 3.50 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wheat bearers went from 10,979 to 10,451 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,290 to #3,355.
FAQ
Wheat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wheat?
Name Census estimates that about 11,984 living Americans carry the surname Wheat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,601 residents.
How common is Wheat?
Wheat ranks #3,355 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,451 people with the surname Wheat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,984), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wheat.
Has Wheat become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wheat went from 10,979 recorded bearers to 10,451. That is a decrease of 528 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,290 to #3,355.
What does the Census say about the background of Wheat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wheat, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Wheat in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (8,177 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wheat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Wheat (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 Wheat mean?
An occupational surname for a grower or seller of wheat, or someone living near wheat fields. 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 Wheat (3.50 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 common is the surname Wheat?
You can see how common the surname Wheat is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.