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

Wiatt, 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 Wiatt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiatt in America

Wiatt is the 76275th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiatt surname appeared 252 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 Wiatt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiatt 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 Wiatt

The surname Wiatt is of English origin, arising prominently during the medieval period in England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English personal name "Wyot" or "Wigheard," which means "war-strength" or "brave in war," from the elements "wig," meaning "war," and "heard," meaning "hardy, brave, strong."

The early forms of the surname were seen in various spellings, including "Wyot," "Wiot," and "Wiett." One of the earliest references to a similar name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a Wigheard is mentioned. As time progressed, these names evolved in spelling reflecting changes in pronunciation and local dialects.

One notable early bearer of the surname is Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542), an English poet and ambassador in the court of Henry VIII. Wyatt is credited with introducing the sonnet form into English literature, significantly impacting English poetry. Another individual of historical significance is Sir Francis Wyatt (ca. 1588-1644), who served as Governor of Virginia in the early 17th century, pivotal in the establishment of the early governance of the American colonies.

Records from the late medieval to early modern periods often document various other individuals named Wiatt or its variants. For instance, in the 14th century, a man named Richard Wyot served as sheriff of York. By the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Wiatt appears in numerous parish registers and legal documents, reflecting its continued presence in English society.

In the realm of judiciary history, Thomas Wyatt the Younger (1521-1554), son of Sir Thomas Wyatt, is known for leading a revolt against Queen Mary I of England, known as Wyatt's Rebellion, although this ultimately led to his execution. His actions exemplified the turbulence and political strife of the period.

Moving into the colonial period, Edward Wiatt, an English settler, journeyed to America in the early 1600s, possibly contributing to the spread of the name in the New World. His presence marks the transatlantic expansion of the family name.

Finally, Edward Wyat, born around 1650, was noted in historical records from Virginia, further indicating the establishment and continuation of the Wiatt surname in early American history. These instances reflect the surname's ongoing legacy and highlights across various centuries and significant historical contexts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiatt

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

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

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

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