2000
#4,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,981
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.96
Rare Last name
Wilt
Derived from a place name meaning "well" or "spring," or from a nickname meaning "wild" or "untamed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,847 Americans carry the last name Wilt. That puts it at #4,461 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilt 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 Wilt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 38,742
Census rank
#4,461
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,715 bearers of the surname Wilt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4461st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilt, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilt
The surname WILT is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "wilte", meaning "to wilt or droop". The name was likely initially used as a nickname for someone with a drooping or wilted appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname WILT appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1199, where a certain Reginald Wilt is mentioned. The name is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, referencing a John Wilt.
During the medieval period, the WILT surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire in southern England. Variations in spelling included Wilte, Wylte, and Wyltt.
In the 16th century, the WILT surname can be found in the records of the Parish of St. Mary's in Bisley, Gloucestershire. Notable individuals with this surname from that period include John Wilt (born around 1520) and his son, William Wilt (born circa 1550).
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the WILT surname, suggesting that the name emerged later in the 12th or 13th centuries.
One notable figure with the WILT surname was Sir Thomas Wilt (1585-1662), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Tamworth during the reign of King Charles I.
Another historical figure was Captain John Wilt (1628-1701), an English sailor who served in the Royal Navy and was known for his exploits during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
In the 18th century, the WILT surname can be found in the records of the Parish of St. Michael's in Baddesley Ensor, Warwickshire. A prominent individual from this period was Reverend William Wilt (1715-1792), a clergyman of the Church of England who served as the Rector of Baddesley Ensor.
During the 19th century, the WILT surname spread to other parts of England, as well as to other English-speaking countries through immigration. One notable individual from this period was Charles Wilt (1836-1914), a British businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry.
Another prominent figure was Sir Henry Wilt (1857-1923), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early aviation and held several patents for aircraft designs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilt
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilt, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilt 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 Wilt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 7,175
- Two or more races3.5% · 270
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 166
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 47
- Black or African American0.5% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilt
Wilt 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
#4,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,165
+184 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.77
Rank movement Down 239 places
2020
#4,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,715
-450 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.58
Rank movement Down 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,109 | 7,981 | 2.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,348 | 8,165 | 2.77 | +184 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 239 places |
| 2020 | #4,461 | 7,715 | 2.58 | -450 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 113 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 Wilt 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 | #4,348 | #4,461 | -2.6% |
| Count | 8,165 | 7,715 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.77 | 2.58 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilt bearers went from 8,165 to 7,715 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,348 to #4,461.
FAQ
Wilt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilt?
Name Census estimates that about 8,847 living Americans carry the surname Wilt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,742 residents.
How common is Wilt?
Wilt ranks #4,461 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,715 people with the surname Wilt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,847), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wilt.
Has Wilt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilt went from 8,165 recorded bearers to 7,715. That is a decrease of 450 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,348 to #4,461.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilt, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Wilt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (7,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Wilt (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 Wilt mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "well" or "spring," or from a nickname meaning "wild" or "untamed." 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 Wilt (2.58 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 Americans have the surname Wilt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.