2000
#7,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,900
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Wilcher
An English occupational surname referring to a maker of pilches, a type of leather garment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,327 Americans carry the last name Wilcher. That puts it at #8,407 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,213 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilcher 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
4.3K
1 in 79,213
Census rank
#8,407
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,773 bearers of the surname Wilcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8407th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (41.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilcher
The surname Wilcher originates from England, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "wilcor," meaning "wanderer" or "stranger." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone who had traveled from another region or country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wilcher can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Wilcherus, indicating the presence of the name in Norman England.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records with slight variations in spelling, such as Wilcher, Wilchyr, and Wylcher. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in written language during that time period.
The surname Wilcher has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir John Wilcher, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 13th century. His descendants continued to hold significant estates in the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire for several generations.
Another notable figure was William Wilcher, a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the late 15th century. He played a crucial role in establishing trade relationships with the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe.
In the 16th century, the Wilcher family gained prominence in the county of Somerset, where they owned substantial landholdings. One member of this branch, Thomas Wilcher (1525-1592), was a respected lawyer and served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Richard Wilcher (1610-1678), a renowned clergyman and author. He published several works on theology and served as the Vicar of Walthamstow in Essex, where he is buried in the parish church.
During the 18th century, the name Wilcher was particularly prevalent in the county of Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this region was John Wilcher (1745-1819), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the local community, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (41.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilcher 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 Wilcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.4% · 1,941
- Black or African American41.6% · 1,569
- Two or more races3.9% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilcher
Wilcher 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
#8,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,069
+169 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 277 places
2020
#8,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,773
-296 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 259 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,871 | 3,900 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,148 | 4,069 | 1.38 | +169 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 277 places |
| 2020 | #8,407 | 3,773 | 1.26 | -296 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 259 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 Wilcher 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 | #8,148 | #8,407 | -3.2% |
| Count | 4,069 | 3,773 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.26 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilcher bearers went from 4,069 to 3,773 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 259 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,148 to #8,407.
FAQ
Wilcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilcher?
Name Census estimates that about 4,327 living Americans carry the surname Wilcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,213 residents.
How common is Wilcher?
Wilcher ranks #8,407 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 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 3,773 people with the surname Wilcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 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 Wilcher.
Has Wilcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilcher went from 4,069 recorded bearers to 3,773. That is a decrease of 296 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,148 to #8,407.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (41.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Wilcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.4% (1,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.4%), Black (41.6%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Wilcher (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 Wilcher mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker of pilches, a type of leather garment. 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 Wilcher (1.26 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 share the surname Wilcher?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.