2000
#3,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Rare Last name
Wingate
Derived from a place name meaning "wind gate" in Old English, referring to a gate that allows wind passage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,169 Americans carry the last name Wingate. That puts it at #4,292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,382 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wingate 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 Wingate with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,382
Census rank
#4,292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,996 bearers of the surname Wingate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wingate, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wingate
The surname Wingate is of English origin, derived from a place name. It is believed to have originated in the region of Northumberland, England, during the medieval period. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "wind" and "geat," which together mean "winding gate" or "winding road."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wingate can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called "Windegate" in Northumberland. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, likely referring to a person or family residing near a winding gate or road.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals with the surname Wingate residing in Northumberland and Yorkshire. These early records often featured variations in spelling, including "Windegate," "Windeyate," and "Wyndgate."
One notable individual with the surname Wingate was Sir Thomas Wingate (1554-1615), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Netherlands and Morocco during the reign of King James I. He was also involved in the establishment of the East India Company.
Another prominent figure was Edmund Wingate (1593-1656), a English mathematician and lawyer. He is best known for his work on the calculation of logarithms and his contributions to the development of mathematical techniques.
In the 18th century, John Wingate (1714-1814) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was involved in several key naval battles against the French and Spanish fleets.
The name Wingate also has associations with place names in England, such as Wingate, a village in County Durham, and Wingate Grange, a former manor house in Northumberland. These place names likely derived from the same Old English origins as the surname.
Edward Wingate (1828-1909) was a British explorer and colonial administrator who served in the Sudan and played a significant role in the suppression of the Mahdist Revolt. He is also known for his efforts in establishing the country's infrastructure and developing its natural resources.
It is worth noting that the surname Wingate has spread beyond its English origins and can be found in various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wingate
Among Census respondents with the surname Wingate, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wingate 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 Wingate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.5% · 5,554
- Black or African American22.2% · 1,774
- Two or more races4.0% · 317
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 268
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wingate
Wingate 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
#4,242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,359
+138 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.83
Rank movement Down 274 places
2020
#4,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,996
-363 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.68
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,968 | 8,221 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,242 | 8,359 | 2.83 | +138 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 274 places |
| 2020 | #4,292 | 7,996 | 2.68 | -363 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 50 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 Wingate 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 | #4,242 | #4,292 | -1.2% |
| Count | 8,359 | 7,996 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.83 | 2.68 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wingate bearers went from 8,359 to 7,996 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,242 to #4,292.
FAQ
Wingate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wingate?
Name Census estimates that about 9,169 living Americans carry the surname Wingate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,382 residents.
How common is Wingate?
Wingate ranks #4,292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.68 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 7,996 people with the surname Wingate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.68 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 Wingate.
Has Wingate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wingate went from 8,359 recorded bearers to 7,996. That is a decrease of 363 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,242 to #4,292.
What does the Census say about the background of Wingate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wingate, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Wingate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.5% (5,554 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wingate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.5%), Black (22.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Wingate (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 Wingate mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "wind gate" in Old English, referring to a gate that allows wind passage. 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 Wingate (2.68 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 Wingate?
If you just want to know how many people are called Wingate, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.