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

Wilks, 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 Wilks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilks in America

Wilks is the 3962nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wilks surname appeared 8,972 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Wilks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wilks 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 Wilks

The surname Wilks originates from the Old English language and dates back to the 11th century in England. It is derived from the personal name "Wilcus" or "Wilcume," which means "welcome" or "one who is welcomed."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Wilks can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Wilcus" and "Wilcombe."

During the medieval period, the Wilks family settled primarily in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire in the west of England. The name was also associated with places like Wilkesley in Cheshire and Wilcot in Wiltshire, which may have influenced the evolution of the surname.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Wilks was Sir Thomas Wilks (c. 1545-1598), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1592. Another prominent figure was David Wilkins (1685-1745), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on ancient Greek and Roman history.

In the 18th century, John Wilkins (1714-1790) was an English churchman and naturalist who contributed significantly to the study of ornithology. His work "The Natural History of Birds" was a seminal publication in the field.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Wilks (1795-1865), a British politician and writer who served as a Member of Parliament and authored several books on the history of France and the French Revolution.

Another notable individual with the Wilks surname was Sir Samuel Wilks (1824-1911), a British physician and pathologist who made significant contributions to the study of kidney diseases and is considered a pioneer in the field of nephrology.

Throughout history, the Wilks surname has been associated with various professions, including law, politics, religion, and academia, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilks

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

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

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

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