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

Wilding, 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 Wilding surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilding in America

Wilding is the 14030th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wilding surname appeared 2,147 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 Wilding.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wilding 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 Wilding

The surname Wilding is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words 'wild' and 'ing', meaning 'the sons or descendants of the wild one'. It likely originated in the medieval period, referring to someone who lived in a remote or uncultivated area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wilding surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a Richard Wylding is listed in Oxfordshire. The surname also appears in the Inquisitiones Post Mortem records from 1366, with a John Wylding mentioned in Worcestershire.

In the 14th century, the Wilding surname was concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire, suggesting that the name may have originated in the West Midlands region of England. The name was sometimes spelled 'Wylding' or 'Wildinge' in older records.

One notable historical figure bearing the Wilding surname was Sir Ralph Wilding (c. 1384-1443), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses. He served as Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1429.

Another prominent individual was John Wilding (1586-1644), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham and was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Robert Wilding (1718-1777) was a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local charities and schools.

The Wilding surname can also be found in various place names across England, such as Wilding Green in Staffordshire and Wilding's Farm in Hampshire, further reinforcing its historical roots in the country.

Other notable individuals with the Wilding surname include the English actress Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976), known for her portrait photography of the British Royal Family, and the Australian cricketer Michael Wilding (born 1940), who played Test cricket for Australia in the 1960s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilding

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

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

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

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