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

Wigfall, 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 Wigfall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wigfall in America

Wigfall is the 13210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wigfall surname appeared 2,314 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 Wigfall.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wigfall 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 Wigfall

The surname Wigfall has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "wic" meaning a dwelling or village, and "fall" meaning a meadow or enclosure. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a village surrounded by meadows or enclosed fields.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wigfall surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Wycfalle." This document was a census-like record of landowners in England, indicating that individuals with this surname were present during the 13th century.

The Wigfall name has also been documented in various historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Lancashire in 1346, where it appears as "Wygfall." Feet of Fines were legal documents recording the transfer of land ownership, providing valuable insights into the geographical distribution of surnames.

In the 16th century, the Wigfall surname appears in the parish records of Chorley, Lancashire, with the spelling variations "Wigfell" and "Wygfall." This region is likely where the name originated and where some of the earliest bearers of the surname were found.

One notable individual with the Wigfall surname was Sir Robert Wigfall (1585-1658), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Thetford during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was John Wigfall (1616-1675), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire.

During the 17th century, the Wigfall name also appears in records from other parts of England, such as Essex and Gloucestershire, indicating the spread of the surname beyond its original homeland.

In the 18th century, William Wigfall (1734-1805) was a renowned clockmaker from London, known for his exceptional craftsmanship and innovative designs. His clocks are highly prized by collectors today.

Another notable bearer of the Wigfall name was James Wigfall (1786-1856), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a successful merchant and shipowner in Liverpool.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wigfall

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

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

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

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