2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wicoff
A surname derived from a Germanic placename or a shortening of other surnames.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Wicoff. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wicoff 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.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Wicoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wicoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wicoff
The surname Wicoff likely has its origins in England, with early records dating back to the medieval period. This surname can be traced to areas in the English Midlands, often associated with small rural communities and settlements. The name itself appears to be derived from an ancient Old English word or place name, possibly connected to "wic," meaning a dwelling place or village, and "off," which might indicate a distinguishing feature or family lineage.
Historical references to the surname Wicoff are scarce, yet a detailed examination of medieval manuscripts and local records reveals its sporadic appearance. One of the earliest mentions can be found in a 13th-century parish register, noting a John Wicoff residing in Worcestershire around 1278. The name appears in various forms in different regions, including Wykoff and Wycoff, illustrating the fluid nature of spelling before standardized orthography.
The earliest recorded instance of the Wicoff surname pertains to a William Wicoff, a yeoman documented in the 1327 lay subsidy rolls of Warwickshire. This individual’s record indicates the family’s presence and possible economic contribution to the area during King Edward III's reign. Further manifestation of the surname can be seen in Kent, where a Richard de Wicoff is mentioned in connection to land transactions in 1375.
Place names such as Wicoff's Close, a small hamlet in Gloucestershire, suggest the surname's geographical spread. This settlement could either have lent its name to the family or vice versa, reinforcing the interconnectedness between location and identity in medieval England. Variants of the name appear in ancient deeds and legal documents, often linked to agrarian communities.
Among historically notable individuals with the surname Wicoff, one finds Anne Wicoff (1603-1659), an author and diarist whose documented writings provide a glimpse into 17th-century rural English life. Another prominent figure is Captain Thomas Wicoff (1691-1742), a naval officer under Queen Anne who played a significant role during the War of Spanish Succession.
The Wicoff name migrated to the New World during the late 17th century, evident from passenger lists where a Peter Wicoff is recorded arriving in Massachusetts in 1685. His descendants became interwoven with the American colonial fabric, contributing to the development of early settlements. Similarly, Samuel Wicoff (1725-1790), recognized as an early settler in New Jersey, was instrumental in regional governance and agricultural advancements.
In the realm of academia, Charlotte Wicoff (1865-1942) emerged as a distinguished scholar and one of the first women to earn a professorship at a prestigious university, leaving a lasting legacy through her academic contributions. Historical records underscore the evolving significance of the surname Wicoff, from its modest beginnings in rural England to its broader impact both in Britain and abroad.
Through centuries, the Wicoff surname has encapsulated a rich tapestry of heritage, embodying the continuum of familial and geographical history across various epochs and locales. With every recorded Wicoff, the name has woven itself into the broader narrative of the regions they inhabited, preserving a legacy that continues to be examined and celebrated by genealogists and historians alike.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wicoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Wicoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wicoff 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 Wicoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wicoff
Wicoff 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
-2 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,495 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-29 bearers (-22.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,930 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 9,495 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -29 bearers (-22.1%) | Down 24,930 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 Wicoff 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 | #129,825 | #154,755 | -19.2% |
| Count | 131 | 102 | -22.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wicoff bearers went from 131 to 102 (-22.1% change). The surname moved down 24,930 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #154,755.
FAQ
Wicoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wicoff?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Wicoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Wicoff?
Wicoff ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Wicoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wicoff.
Has Wicoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wicoff went from 131 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 29 (-22.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Wicoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wicoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Wicoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wicoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Wicoff (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 Wicoff mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic placename or a shortening of other surnames. 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 Wicoff (0.03 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 surname Wicoff?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.