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

Wilderman, 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 Wilderman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilderman in America

Wilderman is the 29447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wilderman surname appeared 802 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 Wilderman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wilderman 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 Wilderman

The surname Wilderman is of Anglo-Saxon origin, dating back to the early medieval period in England. The name is primarily associated with the regions of East Anglia and the East Midlands where English forested areas were abundant. It is derived from the Old English words "wild" meaning untamed or woodland, and "mann" meaning man, therefore originally meaning "man of the wild" or "man from the forest".

Early historical references to this surname can be found in medieval manuscripts and charters. One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 where a Rogerus Wildeman is listed as holding lands in Norfolk. These early records suggest that the name might have been descriptive of someone living near a forest, or perhaps a forest warden.

In the 14th century, during the reign of Edward III, we find a record of a John Wilderman listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327. This indicates the continuing presence and spread of the surname within England during the Middle Ages. As surnames began to become hereditary around this period, Wilderman would have evolved in local dialects and spelling variations.

By the late 16th century, the name appears in various legal and civic documents. A notable individual from this era is Richard Wilderman, born in 1583, who was a prominent landowner in Nottinghamshire. His name appears in several land grants and court records of the period. Records from the same area also mention a Margery Wilderman born in 1620, indicating the surname's established presence in this region.

Moving into the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Wilderman can be found in parish registers and wills. Samuel Wilderman, born in 1645 in Yorkshire, is recorded as a merchant involved in early industrial activities in the region. His contributions to commerce in the town of Leeds are noted in historical documents.

A significant figure bearing the surname is Thomas Wilderman, born in 1702, who was an early settler and farmer in colonial America. Records from Pennsylvania indicate his involvement in township governance and local church activities, highlighting the migration of the surname beyond England.

Frederick Wilderman, born in 1809, serves as another interesting historical bearer of the surname. He was an inventor and is noted in patent records for his agricultural machinery innovations in the early 19th century in Ohio, illustrating the surname’s presence and influence extending into the industrial era.

The surname Wilderman, with its roots deeply embedded in English etymology, provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives and activities of its bearers over centuries, migrating from medieval England to Colonial America, adapting and evolving with the passage of time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilderman

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

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

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

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