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

Wicker, 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 Wicker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wicker in America

Wicker is the 3462nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wicker surname appeared 10,321 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Wicker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wicker 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 Wicker

The surname Wicker is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "wiccer" or "wicere," which referred to someone who made wickerwork baskets or other woven items. This occupation-based surname first emerged in the 13th century in various parts of England.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Wikere." Another early reference is the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, which lists a "Johannes le Wykere." These records suggest that the name was initially concentrated in the southern and eastern regions of England.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Wyker," "Wykere," and "Wychere," reflecting the evolving pronunciation and regional variations. One notable example is John Wychere, a landowner from Essex mentioned in documents from 1381.

During the 16th century, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of "Wicker." A prominent figure bearing this name was Sir John Wicker (c. 1525-1598), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London who served as the city's Lord Mayor in 1597.

Other notable individuals with the surname Wicker include:

1. Ralph Wicker (1580-1649), an English Puritan minister and author.
2. William Wicker (1642-1718), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
3. John Wicker (1673-1743), an English artist known for his portraits and landscapes.
4. Elizabeth Wicker (1747-1819), an English writer and poet who published several works under the pseudonym "Eageria."
5. Thomas Wicker (1926-2011), an American journalist and author who worked for The New York Times and won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1966.

While the name Wicker originated as an occupational surname, it eventually became associated with various place names in England, such as Wickersley in Yorkshire and Wickertown in Somerset. These place names likely derived from individuals who bore the surname Wicker and lived in or owned land in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wicker

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

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

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

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