2000
#13,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,097
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Wherry
An English occupational surname referring to a person who operates or builds a light rowing boat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,327 Americans carry the last name Wherry. That puts it at #14,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,295 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wherry 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 Wherry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,295
Census rank
#14,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,029 bearers of the surname Wherry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wherry, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.6%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wherry
The surname Wherry originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hwær," meaning "to turn" or "to wander," suggesting a connection to a nomadic lifestyle or occupation.
The name is believed to have first appeared in the county of Norfolk, where many families with this surname resided. It is thought to be associated with the occupation of a ferryman or boatman, particularly those who operated small boats known as "wherries" on the rivers and waterways of Norfolk.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wherry can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This document lists several individuals with the surname Wherry or similar spellings, such as Robert le Wherry and William le Wherry.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk, which were tax records. This further solidifies the presence of the Wherry family in the region during that time.
One notable figure with the surname Wherry was Sir Robert Wherry (c. 1550-1629), an English merchant and politician who served as Sheriff of London in 1611 and Lord Mayor of London in 1618-1619.
Another prominent individual was John Wherry (1629-1716), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1683 to 1716.
In the 18th century, Francis Wherry (1748-1828) was a renowned English engraver and illustrator known for his intricate landscapes and architectural works.
The name Wherry also has connections to place names in Norfolk, such as Wherry Town and Wherry Hill, which may have derived their names from the occupation or presence of Wherry families in those areas.
Samuel Wherry (1773-1830), an English clergyman and author, was born in Norfolk and published several works on theology and ecclesiastical history.
The surname Wherry has endured for centuries, with many families carrying this name and contributing to various fields throughout history, primarily in England but also in other parts of the world where English settlers and emigrants established themselves.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wherry
Among Census respondents with the surname Wherry, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.6%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wherry 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 Wherry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.6% · 1,290
- Black or African American28.8% · 585
- Two or more races4.1% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wherry
Wherry 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
#14,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,149
+52 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 681 places
2020
#14,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,029
-120 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 191 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,333 | 2,097 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,014 | 2,149 | 0.73 | +52 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 681 places |
| 2020 | #14,205 | 2,029 | 0.68 | -120 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 191 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 Wherry 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 | #14,014 | #14,205 | -1.4% |
| Count | 2,149 | 2,029 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.68 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wherry bearers went from 2,149 to 2,029 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 191 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,014 to #14,205.
FAQ
Wherry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wherry?
Name Census estimates that about 2,327 living Americans carry the surname Wherry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,295 residents.
How common is Wherry?
Wherry ranks #14,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,029 people with the surname Wherry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wherry.
Has Wherry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wherry went from 2,149 recorded bearers to 2,029. That is a decrease of 120 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,014 to #14,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Wherry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wherry, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.6%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Wherry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.6% (1,290 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wherry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.6%), Black (28.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Wherry (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 Wherry mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who operates or builds a light rowing boat. 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 Wherry (0.68 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 Wherry?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Wherry, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.