2000
#3,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.41
Uncommon Last name
Wicks
From the Old English word "wic," referring to a farm, settlement, or dwelling place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,479 Americans carry the last name Wicks. That puts it at #3,793 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,709 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wicks 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 Wicks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,709
Census rank
#3,793
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.1K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,138 bearers of the surname Wicks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3793rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wicks, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wicks
The surname WICKS originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English word "wic," meaning a dwelling, camp, or village. This suggests that the name was likely initially given to someone who lived in a small settlement or hamlet.
The earliest recorded instance of the WICKS surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Wiche" and "Wyke." This indicates that the name was already established in various parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In medieval times, the WICKS surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire in southwestern England. Many of the early bearers of this name likely hailed from these regions, where place names such as Wyke and Wycombe were common.
One notable individual from history bearing the WICKS surname was Robert Wicks (c. 1385-1448), a Catholic theologian and philosopher from Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. He was a significant figure in the intellectual life of 15th-century England and wrote extensively on various theological and philosophical topics.
Another historical figure with the WICKS surname was John Wicks (c. 1550-1619), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Thetford and later the Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was known for his writings on religious and historical subjects.
In the 17th century, Thomas Wicks (1619-1680) was a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Charles II. He was active in local affairs and played a role in the political upheavals of the English Civil War period.
Moving into the 18th century, Francis Wicks (1727-1795) was an English artist and engraver who gained recognition for his landscape paintings and prints. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and are now held in various museum collections.
Another notable figure from the 19th century was William Wicks (1828-1891), an English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas. His most famous work is the Church of St. James the Less in Bethnal Green, which remains a notable example of Victorian Gothic architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wicks
Among Census respondents with the surname Wicks, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wicks 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 Wicks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.2% · 6,418
- Black or African American20.7% · 1,891
- Two or more races5.1% · 465
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 251
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wicks
Wicks 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
#3,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,489
+299 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Down 186 places
2020
#3,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,138
-351 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 3.06
Rank movement Down 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,549 | 9,190 | 3.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,735 | 9,489 | 3.22 | +299 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 186 places |
| 2020 | #3,793 | 9,138 | 3.06 | -351 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 58 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 Wicks 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 | #3,735 | #3,793 | -1.6% |
| Count | 9,489 | 9,138 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.22 | 3.06 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wicks bearers went from 9,489 to 9,138 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,735 to #3,793.
FAQ
Wicks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wicks?
Name Census estimates that about 10,479 living Americans carry the surname Wicks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,709 residents.
How common is Wicks?
Wicks ranks #3,793 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,138 people with the surname Wicks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wicks.
Has Wicks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wicks went from 9,489 recorded bearers to 9,138. That is a decrease of 351 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,735 to #3,793.
What does the Census say about the background of Wicks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wicks, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Wicks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.2% (6,418 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wicks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.2%), Black (20.7%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Wicks (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 Wicks mean?
From the Old English word "wic," referring to a farm, settlement, or dwelling place. 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 Wicks (3.06 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 Wicks?
Want to know how many people have the surname Wicks? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.