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

Wiggleton, 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 Wiggleton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiggleton in America

Wiggleton is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiggleton surname appeared 100 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wiggleton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiggleton 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 Wiggleton

The surname Wiggleton is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. The earliest records suggest that the name is derived from a combination of Old English elements. The first part, "wiggle," could be associated with the Old English word "wig," meaning war or battle, although it is also possible that it relates to the verb "wiglian," meaning to wiggle or move. The second part, "ton," comes from the Old English "tun," meaning town or settlement. Thus, Wiggleton could be interpreted as "the settlement of the wiggle" or "town of the warring people."

Wiggleton is not commonly found in early historical manuscripts. Unlike more frequently encountered surnames, it does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086. However, some early records show various spellings such as Wigelton, Wygleton, and Wigletun. One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in a 13th-century tax roll from 1287, which lists a John de Wiggleton living in the county of Staffordshire.

Another early reference can be found in the records of the Court of Common Pleas in 1363, where a William de Wiggleton appears as a witness in a land dispute case. This suggests that the name had already begun to spread through England by the mid-14th century. The suffix "de" in these records indicates a locative or geographic origin, supporting the theory that Wiggleton was originally a place name.

A notable figure bearing the Wiggleton surname is Sir Geoffrey Wiggleton, born in 1432 and died in 1501. Sir Geoffrey was a knight who served under King Edward IV during the Wars of the Roses. Historical accounts praise his valor and strategic acumen during key battles such as the Battle of Barnet in 1471.

In the 17th century, records indicate that the name had migrated northward. A Reverend Thomas Wiggleton, born in 1602 and died in 1678, served as a prominent church leader in Northern England, specifically in the area that is now modern-day Yorkshire. His sermons and treatises contribute to the spread of Protestant ideas during a time of significant religious upheaval.

By the 18th century, the name Wiggleton had appeared in colonial America. Records from the early 1700s document a Joseph Wiggleton, born in 1679, who emigrated to Virginia in 1705. He is noted for being one of the early settlers who contributed to the establishment of local governance in the colony.

In the early 19th century, we find references to a scholar named Dr. Elizabeth Wiggleton, born in 1795 and died in 1867. She was a pioneering academic in the field of natural sciences and one of the first women to obtain a degree in her field at the University of Cambridge, England.

By examining these historical references, it is evident that the surname Wiggleton has a rich and varied history. Originating as a compound of Old English elements, it evolved from a possibly locative name into a surname that appears across various historical records from medieval battles to the early days of American colonization, enriching the tapestry of English—and then American—surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiggleton

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

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

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

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