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

Wigley, 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 Wigley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wigley in America

Wigley is the 10903rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wigley surname appeared 2,920 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 Wigley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wigley 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 Wigley

The surname Wigley originated in England and is believed to have derived from a locational name referring to a place called Wigley or Wiggeleia in Derbyshire. The name is thought to be of Anglo-Saxon origin, with the first part "wig" meaning a dwelling or village, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a Geoffrey de Wyggeley mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Derbyshire in 1273. In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Wigelei" is mentioned, which is believed to be the same location from which the surname originates.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Wygley, Wigeley, and Wygeley. One notable person from this period was John Wigley, who was recorded as the vicar of Barton-upon-Irwell in Lancashire in 1349.

During the 16th century, the name continued to be found in records across England, with variations including Wiglie, Wygley, and Wyglie. In 1567, a William Wigley was recorded as a resident of Nottinghamshire.

In the 17th century, the surname Wigley was well-established in several counties, including Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Lancashire. One notable figure was Richard Wigley (1590-1667), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Ely from 1660 until his death.

In the 18th century, the name Wigley was found in various regions of England, with several individuals gaining recognition. John Wigley (1700-1779) was an English writer and philosopher, while William Wigley (1722-1790) was a prominent artist and engraver.

In the 19th century, the surname Wigley continued to be present in England, with individuals like James Wigley (1836-1899), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Staffordshire, and Samuel Wigley (1868-1944), a notable engineer and inventor from Derbyshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wigley

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

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

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

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