2000
#9,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,991
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Wilds
Derived from a nickname or topographical name referring to an untamed or uncultivated region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,415 Americans carry the last name Wilds. That puts it at #10,288 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,367 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilds 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 Wilds with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,367
Census rank
#10,288
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,978 bearers of the surname Wilds in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10288th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilds, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilds
The surname Wilds is an English surname that originated in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "wilde," meaning "wild" or "untamed." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a remote or wild area, or perhaps someone with a wild or unruly personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the Wilds surname can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301. These records mention individuals with the surname Wilds residing in various parts of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.
One notable historical figure bearing the Wilds surname was Sir John Wilds (1590-1668), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and supported King Charles I against the Parliamentarians.
Another prominent individual was Robert Wilds (1609-1679), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Derry in Ireland. He wrote several religious works and was known for his strong Anglican principles.
In the 18th century, the Wilds surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Wilds (1742-1821), a renowned English painter and engraver. He was particularly skilled in landscape and animal painting and is considered one of the finest English artists of his time.
The Wilds surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Wildes Marsh in Lincolnshire and Wildesmoor in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time, including Wilde, Wylde, and Wyldes.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the Wilds surname, including John Wilds (1683-1758), an English mathematician and astronomer, and Samuel Wilds (1712-1790), a prominent English architect who designed several churches and country houses in the Georgian style.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilds
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilds, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilds 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 Wilds surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.2% · 2,119
- Black or African American21.0% · 624
- Two or more races4.3% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilds
Wilds 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
#10,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,090
+99 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 463 places
2020
#10,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,978
-112 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,953 | 2,991 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,416 | 3,090 | 1.05 | +99 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 463 places |
| 2020 | #10,288 | 2,978 | 1.00 | -112 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 128 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 Wilds 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 | #10,416 | #10,288 | 1.2% |
| Count | 3,090 | 2,978 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.00 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilds bearers went from 3,090 to 2,978 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,416 to #10,288.
FAQ
Wilds surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilds?
Name Census estimates that about 3,415 living Americans carry the surname Wilds. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,367 residents.
How common is Wilds?
Wilds ranks #10,288 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,978 people with the surname Wilds. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,415), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Wilds.
Has Wilds become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilds went from 3,090 recorded bearers to 2,978. That is a decrease of 112 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,416 to #10,288.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilds?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilds, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Wilds in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.2% (2,119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilds appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.2%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Wilds (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 Wilds mean?
Derived from a nickname or topographical name referring to an untamed or uncultivated region. 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 Wilds (1.00 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 last name Wilds?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Wilds on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.