2000
#14,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,975
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Wimbush
From a place name meaning "a bush of wimberry plants," likely referring to a thicket of grapevines or brambles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,280 Americans carry the last name Wimbush. That puts it at #14,448 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,331 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wimbush 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 Wimbush with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,331
Census rank
#14,448
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,988 bearers of the surname Wimbush in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14448th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wimbush, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wimbush
The surname Wimbush has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Wimbotsham, located in Norfolk. The name Wimbotsham itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "win-burg" and "ham," meaning "dwelling by the wine hill."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wimbush appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Winebodeham." This suggests that the name was already well-established in Norfolk by the late 11th century.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Wynbotesham" and "Wynbodisham." These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the influence of local dialects.
In the 16th century, notable individuals with the surname Wimbush included John Wimbush, a merchant from Norfolk who was born around 1520. He was involved in trade with the Netherlands and is mentioned in several historical records from that time.
Another early bearer of the name was William Wimbush, a landowner from Suffolk who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Records indicate that he was involved in local governance and held positions of authority in his community.
The 17th century saw the emergence of a notable family of Wimbushes in Lincolnshire. Thomas Wimbush (1630-1709) was a successful businessman and landowner who owned several estates in the area. His son, also named Thomas Wimbush (1670-1746), followed in his footsteps and further expanded the family's holdings.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Wimbush family settled in Yorkshire. One of the most prominent members was Sir John Wimbush (1745-1823), a successful merchant and philanthropist who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1798. He was knighted for his contributions to the city and his charitable endeavors.
Another notable figure was Sir Richard Wimbush (1790-1869), a military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Throughout its history, the surname Wimbush has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, commerce, and military service. While the name may have evolved in its spelling over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the rural landscapes of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wimbush
Among Census respondents with the surname Wimbush, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wimbush 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 Wimbush surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American84.7% · 1,684
- White6.6% · 131
- Two or more races5.5% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wimbush
Wimbush 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
#14,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,037
+62 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 600 places
2020
#14,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,988
-49 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 164 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,012 | 1,975 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,612 | 2,037 | 0.69 | +62 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 600 places |
| 2020 | #14,448 | 1,988 | 0.67 | -49 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 164 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 Wimbush 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 | #14,612 | #14,448 | 1.1% |
| Count | 2,037 | 1,988 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.67 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wimbush bearers went from 2,037 to 1,988 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 164 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,612 to #14,448.
FAQ
Wimbush surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wimbush?
Name Census estimates that about 2,280 living Americans carry the surname Wimbush. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,331 residents.
How common is Wimbush?
Wimbush ranks #14,448 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 1,988 people with the surname Wimbush. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,280), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Wimbush.
Has Wimbush become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wimbush went from 2,037 recorded bearers to 1,988. That is a decrease of 49 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,612 to #14,448.
What does the Census say about the background of Wimbush?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wimbush, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wimbush in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (1,684 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wimbush appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (84.7%), White (6.6%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Wimbush (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 Wimbush mean?
From a place name meaning "a bush of wimberry plants," likely referring to a thicket of grapevines or brambles. 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 Wimbush (0.67 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 Wimbush?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Wimbush? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.