2000
#10,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,876
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Wigley
Derived from a place name meaning "willow-tree wood" in Old English, or referring to someone who lived near willows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,108 Americans carry the last name Wigley. That puts it at #11,168 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,281 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wigley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wigley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,281
Census rank
#11,168
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,710 bearers of the surname Wigley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11168th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wigley, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wigley
Among Census respondents with the surname Wigley, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Wigley 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 Wigley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.4% · 2,259
- Black or African American7.6% · 207
- Two or more races4.2% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wigley
Wigley 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
#10,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,920
+44 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 633 places
2020
#11,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,710
-210 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 265 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,270 | 2,876 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,903 | 2,920 | 0.99 | +44 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 633 places |
| 2020 | #11,168 | 2,710 | 0.91 | -210 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 265 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 Wigley 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 | #10,903 | #11,168 | -2.4% |
| Count | 2,920 | 2,710 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.91 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wigley bearers went from 2,920 to 2,710 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 265 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,903 to #11,168.
FAQ
Wigley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wigley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,108 living Americans carry the surname Wigley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,281 residents.
How common is Wigley?
Wigley ranks #11,168 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,710 people with the surname Wigley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,108), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wigley.
Has Wigley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wigley went from 2,920 recorded bearers to 2,710. That is a decrease of 210 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,903 to #11,168.
What does the Census say about the background of Wigley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wigley, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Wigley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.4% (2,259 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wigley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.4%), Black (7.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Wigley (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 Wigley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "willow-tree wood" in Old English, or referring to someone who lived near willows. 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 Wigley (0.91 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 last name Wigley?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Wigley is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.