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

Wildes, 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 Wildes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wildes in America

Wildes is the 14368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wildes surname appeared 2,081 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 Wildes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wildes 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 Wildes

The surname Wildes originated from the Anglo-Saxon words 'wildor' meaning wild and 'deor' meaning beast or animal. It was initially a descriptive name given to someone who lived near the woods or had a wild temperament. The name can be traced back to the 7th century in England.

Historically, the name Wildes first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The early recordings included Willelmus filius Wilderi in Yorkshire and Wildeorus in Lincolnshire.

By the 13th century, variations of the name like Wilde, Wyld, and Wylde were common in areas such as Sussex, Essex, and Hertfordshire. The name was often associated with places like Wildridge in Hertfordshire and Wildwood in Sussex.

One of the earliest recorded people with the surname Wildes was William Wilde (c.1260-1321), a landowner and nobleman from Gloucestershire. Another notable figure was John Wilde (1590-1668), an English mathematician and lawyer who served as a judge during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Thomas Wilde (1721-1799) was a renowned English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of England. His son, Thomas Wilde (1782-1855), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent barrister and judge.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the famous Irish playwright and novelist, was one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Wildes. His works, including The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest, have had a lasting impact on literature and popular culture.

Another notable figure was Sir William Wilde (1815-1876), an Irish surgeon and author who was Oscar Wilde's father. He made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and archaeology in Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wildes

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

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

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

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