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

Wheless, 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 Wheless surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wheless in America

Wheless is the 29334th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wheless surname appeared 806 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 Wheless.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wheless 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 Wheless

The surname Wheless has its origins predominantly in England, though it is not among the most common English surnames. Earliest documentation places its formation somewhere in the medieval period, likely around the 14th or 15th century. Wheless is presumably a variant of the surname Whelis, which itself may have derived from an Old English or Middle English word, though the exact etymology is somewhat obscure.

One of the oldest recorded references to the surname appears in parish records and tax documents from the late medieval period. A similarity with the Old English word "hweol," meaning "wheel," suggests a possible occupational origin, possibly linked to someone who made or repaired wheels, which was a crucial trade in medieval times.

One early instance of the surname appears in a 1525 record of Thomas Wheless in Dorset, England. The Wheless name appears in various spellings over the centuries, including Wheelis, Whealyss, and Whelis, among others. The Devonshire parish registers of the early 1600s also make note of a Richard Wheless, indicating that the name had spread within England by this time.

A notable individual bearing the surname was John Wheless, an agriculturist and landowner born in 1732 who settled in and developed large tracts of farmland in Somerset. This John Wheless is often cited in local histories for his contribution to agricultural practices during the time.

Across the Atlantic, the name Wheless found its way to America, likely around the 18th century. George Wheless, born in 1765, is one of the early bearers of the name to be recorded in Virginia. Serving in the American Revolutionary War, George Wheless's records are found in several military documents of the era.

In the late 19th century, Joseph Wheless, born in 1868, became one of the more renowned individuals with the surname. An attorney and author, his works on biblical criticism brought him both acclaim and controversy. He remained an influential figure until his death in 1950, marking one of the more prominent figures to carry the Wheless surname into the modern era.

The surname Wheless, though less common, carries a rich history that intertwines with the development of medieval trades, early migration to America, and scholarly contributions of later generations. With roots that stretch back to ancient English dialects and pivotal moments in agricultural and intellectual history, Wheless remains a surname with a distinct and varied legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wheless

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

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

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

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