2000
#10,303
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,866
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Wickman
An occupational surname for someone who made wicks for candles or oil lamps.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,038 Americans carry the last name Wickman. That puts it at #11,380 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wickman 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 Wickman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,822
Census rank
#11,380
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,649 bearers of the surname Wickman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11380th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wickman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wickman
The surname Wickman is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "wic" meaning a dwelling or farm, and "mann" meaning a person or man. This suggests that the name originated from a place where a person lived or worked on a farm or small settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wicman" in the county of Oxfordshire. This ancient record provides evidence that the name was already in use during the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England.
Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Wickman, Wycman, and Wyckman, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. These alternative spellings can be traced back to historical records from the 13th to 16th centuries.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Richard Wickman was recorded as a landowner in the village of Weston, Hertfordshire. His descendants likely carried on the surname, contributing to its spread and establishment in the region.
During the 16th century, a prominent Wickman family resided in the town of Ipswich, Suffolk. John Wickman (1524-1592) was a respected merchant and alderman in the town, leaving a lasting legacy through his business endeavors and civic contributions.
Another notable individual with the surname Wickman was William Wickman (1672-1745), a renowned clockmaker from London. His intricate and precise timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and affluent patrons, earning him a reputation as one of the finest clockmakers of his era.
In the 18th century, the Wickman name can be found in various parish records across counties like Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, and Lincolnshire, suggesting its widespread distribution throughout England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wickman surname in America dates back to the late 17th century, when Thomas Wickman (1658-1732) immigrated from England and settled in Pennsylvania, where he became a prosperous farmer and landowner.
As the centuries passed, the Wickman surname continued to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including farmers, artisans, merchants, and professionals, contributing to the rich tapestry of English heritage and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wickman
Among Census respondents with the surname Wickman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wickman 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 Wickman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,411
- Two or more races3.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 80
- Black or African American0.9% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wickman
Wickman 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
#8,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,775
+909 bearers (+31.7%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 1,608 places
2020
#11,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,649
-1,126 bearers (-29.8%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 2,685 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,303 | 2,866 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,695 | 3,775 | 1.28 | +909 bearers (+31.7%) | Up 1,608 places |
| 2020 | #11,380 | 2,649 | 0.89 | -1,126 bearers (-29.8%) | Down 2,685 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 Wickman 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 | #8,695 | #11,380 | -30.9% |
| Count | 3,775 | 2,649 | -29.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 0.89 | -30.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wickman bearers went from 3,775 to 2,649 (-29.8% change). The surname moved down 2,685 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,695 to #11,380.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wickman
FAQ
Wickman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wickman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,038 living Americans carry the surname Wickman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,822 residents.
How common is Wickman?
Wickman ranks #11,380 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,649 people with the surname Wickman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Wickman.
Has Wickman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wickman went from 3,775 recorded bearers to 2,649. That is a decrease of 1,126 (-29.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,695 to #11,380.
What does the Census say about the background of Wickman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wickman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Wickman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,411 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wickman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Wickman (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 Wickman mean?
An occupational surname for someone who made wicks for candles or oil lamps. 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 Wickman (0.89 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 Americans have the surname Wickman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.