2000
#27,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 828
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Very Rare Last name
Wheeless
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with a smooth, soft-spoken manner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 902 Americans carry the last name Wheeless. That puts it at #31,504 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 379,994 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wheeless 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
902
1 in 379,994
Census rank
#31,504
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
787
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 787 bearers of the surname Wheeless in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31504th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wheeless, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wheeless
The surname Wheeless is believed to have its origins in England, roughly dating back to the late Medieval period. It is thought to have emerged as a variant of the surname Wheeler, which itself is derived from the Old English word "hweol," meaning "wheel." The Wheeler surname traditionally denoted someone who made or repaired wheels or a wheelwright, indicating that the Wheeless surname might have similar occupational roots.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Wheeler can be found as far back as the 13th century. It appears in historical documents such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where individuals named Hugo le Whelere and Alan le Whelare are mentioned. Over time, regional dialects and variations in spelling would eventually lead to the emergence of the surname Wheeless.
An early recorded example of the surname Wheeless can be found in the 17th century. In a parish record from 1642 in Suffolk, England, a John Wheeless is noted. This form of the surname likely represents a phonetic evolution, reflecting local pronunciation and orthographic practices.
During the late 18th century, the surname Wheeless appears in various colonial American records. For example, in 1790, a Thomas Wheeless is listed in the first United States Census for North Carolina. This suggests that the name had spread from its English origins across the Atlantic to the American colonies, where it became established.
Another notable individual bearing the surname Wheeless was John Wheeless, an early 19th-century pioneer who contributed to the settlement of Tennessee, where he appears in land records from the early 1800s. His efforts in agricultural development and community leadership are remembered in local histories.
In the 19th century, the surname is recorded in multiple census records and legal documents across the southern United States. For instance, Edward Wheeless (1820-1885) served as a local magistrate in Mississippi during the Civil War period, indicating the name had by then become relatively common in certain regions.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, another prominent figure was Dr. Samuel Wheeless (1875-1932), a physician based in Alabama who was well-respected for his contributions to public health and medical education. His legacy includes several medical advancements and extensive community service.
In sum, the surname Wheeless has deep historical roots that are closely tied to its occupational origins in England, evolving over centuries and continents to become associated with various notable individuals who have carried the name through history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wheeless
Among Census respondents with the surname Wheeless, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wheeless 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 Wheeless surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 662
- Black or African American5.8% · 46
- Two or more races4.6% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wheeless
Wheeless 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
#28,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 845
+17 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 880 places
2020
#31,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 787
-58 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 3,211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,413 | 828 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,293 | 845 | 0.29 | +17 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 880 places |
| 2020 | #31,504 | 787 | 0.26 | -58 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 3,211 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 Wheeless 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 | #28,293 | #31,504 | -11.3% |
| Count | 845 | 787 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.26 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wheeless bearers went from 845 to 787 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 3,211 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,293 to #31,504.
FAQ
Wheeless surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wheeless?
Name Census estimates that about 902 living Americans carry the surname Wheeless. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 379,994 residents.
How common is Wheeless?
Wheeless ranks #31,504 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 787 people with the surname Wheeless. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Wheeless.
Has Wheeless become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wheeless went from 845 recorded bearers to 787. That is a decrease of 58 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,293 to #31,504.
What does the Census say about the background of Wheeless?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wheeless, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Wheeless in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (662 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wheeless appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Wheeless (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 Wheeless mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with a smooth, soft-spoken manner. 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 Wheeless (0.26 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 Wheeless?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.