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

Wickersham, 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 Wickersham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wickersham in America

Wickersham is the 12720th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wickersham surname appeared 2,427 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wickersham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wickersham 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 Wickersham

The surname Wickersham originated in England, and its earliest records date back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wicce" meaning a witch or sorcerer, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a village associated with witchcraft or occult practices.

One of the earliest known references to the name Wickersham can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beddington, Surrey, where a certain John Wickersham was recorded as a resident in 1592. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1628, indicating that the family had spread to other parts of southern England by that time.

In the 17th century, the Wickersham family seems to have established itself in the county of Worcestershire. A notable figure from this period was Edward Wickersham, a prosperous landowner who was born in 1642 and died in 1714. His son, also named Edward Wickersham (1674-1747), was a prominent lawyer and served as the High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1715.

As the centuries progressed, some members of the Wickersham family migrated to other parts of the world, including the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded Wickershams in America was John Wickersham, who arrived in Philadelphia from England in 1753. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, with some achieving notable positions in politics and law.

Another notable figure with the surname Wickersham was James Aloysius Wickersham (1857-1939), an American lawyer and politician who served as a judge and district attorney in Alaska during the early 20th century. He was also a delegate to the United States Congress from the Alaska Territory.

Other historical figures with the surname Wickersham include:

1. Thomas Wickersham (1586-1667), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Sabbath.
2. George Wickersham (1858-1936), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Attorney General under President William Howard Taft.
3. Victor Wickersham (1879-1945), an American military officer who played a significant role in the development of aviation in the United States Army.
4. James Pyle Wickersham (1825-1891), an American educator and politician who served as the Chancellor of the University of Pennsylvania.

While the surname Wickersham has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with notable bearers contributing to fields such as law, politics, education, and the military.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wickersham

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

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

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

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