2000
#4,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,091
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.00
Rare Last name
Wild
An English surname derived from a nickname for a wild or undisciplined person, or one who lived in uncultivated land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,381 Americans carry the last name Wild. That puts it at #4,192 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wild 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 Wild with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.4K
1 in 36,537
Census rank
#4,192
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,181 bearers of the surname Wild in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4192nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wild, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wild
The surname Wild is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'wilde' meaning 'untamed' or 'uncultivated'. It was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived in a remote or rural area, or for someone with a wild or unruly appearance or behavior.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Wild can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as 'Wilde' in various counties across England. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the surname was recorded in various forms, including 'le Wild', 'atte Wilde', and 'Wylde'. These variations indicate that the name was often preceded by the prepositions 'le' (the) or 'atte' (at the), which were commonly used in medieval times to identify a person's place of origin or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Wild was John le Wild, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. Another notable early bearer of the name was William atte Wilde, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.
In the 16th century, the surname began to appear in its modern spelling of 'Wild'. One of the first recorded instances of this spelling was Robert Wild, who was born in England around 1530.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Wild, including:
1. Jonathan Wild (1682-1725), an English criminal and thief-taker who became famous for his exploits in London's underworld.
2. Robert Wild (1609-1679), an English philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of algebra.
3. Johann Rudolf Wild (1670-1712), a Swiss-born artist and engraver who worked in England and is known for his engravings of architectural subjects.
4. Albert Wild (1919-2000), a British actor and playwright who appeared in numerous television shows and films throughout his career.
5. Jonathan Wild (1756-1838), an English clergyman and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.
The surname Wild has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Wildwood, Wilderton, and Wildmoor, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have derived their surname from these locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wild
Among Census respondents with the surname Wild, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wild 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 Wild surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 7,420
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 306
- Two or more races3.6% · 297
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 81
- Black or African American0.5% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wild
Wild 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
#4,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,217
+126 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.79
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#4,192
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,181
-36 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 2.74
Rank movement Up 132 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,030 | 8,091 | 3.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,324 | 8,217 | 2.79 | +126 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #4,192 | 8,181 | 2.74 | -36 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 132 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 Wild 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 | #4,324 | #4,192 | 3.1% |
| Count | 8,217 | 8,181 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.79 | 2.74 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wild bearers went from 8,217 to 8,181 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 132 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,324 to #4,192.
FAQ
Wild surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wild?
Name Census estimates that about 9,381 living Americans carry the surname Wild. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,537 residents.
How common is Wild?
Wild ranks #4,192 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,181 people with the surname Wild. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,381), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wild.
Has Wild become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wild went from 8,217 recorded bearers to 8,181. That is a decrease of 36 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,324 to #4,192.
What does the Census say about the background of Wild?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wild, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Wild in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (7,420 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wild appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Wild (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 Wild mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for a wild or undisciplined person, or one who lived in uncultivated land. 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 Wild (2.74 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 surname Wild?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.