2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Wides
A surname deriving from an Old English word meaning "wide" or "spacious".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Wides. 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 Wides 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 Wides 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 Wides, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wides
The surname Wides has its roots in England and can be traced back to the medieval period, specifically around the 12th and 13th centuries. The name is believed to have originated in the rural regions of Southern England, particularly in counties such as Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. It is derived from an Old English word “wīd,” which means wide or broad. This term was often used to describe geographical features such as a broad valley or expansive clearing.
Historical references to the surname can be found in various medieval documents. One of the earliest mentions is in the Pipe Rolls from 1191, where a Geoffrey Wydes is listed as a landowner in Gloucestershire. The spelling variations, including Wydes and Wyde, reflect the phonetic spellings common before the standardization of English spelling.
In the centuries following, the name appeared in several historical records. A notable reference is in the Assize Rolls of 1263 where a John Wydes is mentioned. These rolls were judicial records where cases and land disputes were recorded. Another early record is from the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, documenting a Richard Wydes contributing to the king’s tax in Wiltshire.
Margaret Wides, born in 1532 and died in 1594, is one of the earliest known bearers of the surname documented in parish records. She was known for her charitable activities within her community in Gloucestershire. Parish records from 1602 mention a William Wides as a yeoman in Wiltshire, indicating that the family was involved in agriculture and landholding.
In later years, the name Wides appeared in the Muster Rolls of the late 16th century, notably listing a Thomas Wides as taking up arms during the reign of Elizabeth I. The continued presence of the name in such records points to a family that maintained land and some social standing over generations.
Notable figures bearing the surname include Henry Wides, born in 1645 and died in 1703, a notable merchant in London. His business dealings extended from local trade to colonial endeavors, indicating the geographical expansion and social mobility of the family. Another famous bearer is Eleanor Wides, born in 1710 and died in 1784, who authored several treatises on herbal medicine and was considered a pioneer in the field during the 18th century.
The history and etymology of the surname Wides reflect a lineage deeply embedded in the agrarian culture of medieval and early modern England, with records spanning several centuries highlighting the family’s varied roles in society from landowners to merchants and scholars.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wides
Among Census respondents with the surname Wides, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wides 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 Wides surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wides
Wides appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,957 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 Wides 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 | #159,712 | #154,755 | 3.1% |
| Count | 101 | 102 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wides bearers went from 101 to 102 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,755.
FAQ
Wides surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wides?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Wides. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Wides?
Wides 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 Wides. 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 Wides.
Has Wides become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wides went from 101 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Wides?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wides, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Wides in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wides appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Wides (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 Wides mean?
A surname deriving from an Old English word meaning "wide" or "spacious". 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 Wides (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 Americans have the surname Wides?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.