2000
#3,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.12
Rare Last name
Wimberly
From a place name meaning "Wimaer's woodland clearing," derived from the Old English personal name "Wimaer" combined with "leah."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,494 Americans carry the last name Wimberly. That puts it at #4,150 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wimberly 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.
Bearers in the US
9.5K
1 in 36,102
Census rank
#4,150
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,279 bearers of the surname Wimberly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4150th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wimberly, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.7%. The next largest groups are Black (44.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wimberly
The surname WIMBERLY is of English origin, derived from the place name Wimbledon, a town located in southwest London. The name is believed to have emerged in the late 11th or early 12th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
The name Wimbledon is thought to be derived from the Old English words "Wyndel" or "Wynnman," meaning a curved or winding hill, and "dun," meaning a hill or down. The name Wimbledon initially referred to the area's distinct geography, with its rolling hills and winding terrain.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name WIMBERLY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book lists a landowner named Willelmus de Wimbeldone, which is considered one of the earliest written references to the name's connection with the Wimbledon area.
During the Middle Ages, the name WIMBERLY appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, often spelled in different ways, such as Wymbeldon, Wimboldone, and Wymbeldon, reflecting the evolution of English spelling over time.
One notable figure bearing the name WIMBERLY was Sir John Wimberly (c. 1460-1518), a prominent English landowner and military commander during the Wars of the Roses. He served as the High Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.
Another historical figure was Thomas Wimberly (1572-1638), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Waltham St. Lawrence in Berkshire. He is known for his contributions to theological literature and his numerous published works on religious topics.
In the 17th century, John Wimberly (1623-1688) was a successful merchant and landowner in the English colony of Virginia. He was influential in the establishment of Yorktown and is credited with helping to secure the area's economic prosperity through his trade ventures.
During the 18th century, Samuel Wimberly (1733-1811) was a notable English architect and surveyor. He designed several prominent buildings in London, including the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens and the Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park.
Another historic figure was Sir William Wimberly (1787-1868), a British politician and industrialist who served as a Member of Parliament for Southampton. He played a significant role in the development of the city's shipbuilding and maritime industries.
While the surname WIMBERLY has its roots in England, particularly in the Wimbledon area, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and the diaspora of English settlers. The name continues to be associated with its historical origins and serves as a reminder of the rich heritage and cultural influences that have shaped surnames over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wimberly
Among Census respondents with the surname Wimberly, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.7%. The next largest groups are Black (44.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wimberly 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 Wimberly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.7% · 3,870
- Black or African American44.1% · 3,654
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 353
- Two or more races4.1% · 340
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wimberly
Wimberly 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
#4,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,729
+323 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.96
Rank movement Down 187 places
2020
#4,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,279
-450 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.77
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,883 | 8,406 | 3.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,070 | 8,729 | 2.96 | +323 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 187 places |
| 2020 | #4,150 | 8,279 | 2.77 | -450 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 80 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 Wimberly 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 | #4,070 | #4,150 | -2.0% |
| Count | 8,729 | 8,279 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.96 | 2.77 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wimberly bearers went from 8,729 to 8,279 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,070 to #4,150.
FAQ
Wimberly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wimberly?
Name Census estimates that about 9,494 living Americans carry the surname Wimberly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,102 residents.
How common is Wimberly?
Wimberly ranks #4,150 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.77 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 8,279 people with the surname Wimberly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,494), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.77 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 Wimberly.
Has Wimberly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wimberly went from 8,729 recorded bearers to 8,279. That is a decrease of 450 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,070 to #4,150.
What does the Census say about the background of Wimberly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wimberly, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.7%. The next largest groups are Black (44.1%) and Hispanic (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 Wimberly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.7% (3,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wimberly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.7%), Black (44.1%), Hispanic (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 Wimberly (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 Wimberly mean?
From a place name meaning "Wimaer's woodland clearing," derived from the Old English personal name "Wimaer" combined with "leah." 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 Wimberly (2.77 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 common is the surname Wimberly?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Wimberly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.