2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wiper
An occupational surname derived from someone who worked as a wiper or cleaner of surfaces.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Wiper. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiper 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 Wiper with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Wiper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiper, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiper
The surname Wiper has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have first emerged in the northern counties, including Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it has primarily been found. It is likely that Wiper is an occupational surname, derived from the Middle English word "wiper," which referred to a person who designed and wove cloth, particularly of wool. The name could also relate to the Old English words "weopere" or "weofere," meaning a weaver or cloth-maker.
The first known references to the surname Wiper appear in English parish records and tax rolls from the 14th century. One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in the Poll Tax records of 1379, where a John Wiper was recorded in Yorkshire. The surname was often associated with textile-producing areas, which were economically significant during the medieval period.
Throughout history, various spellings of the name Wiper have been recorded, including Whiper, Wypper, and Wypere. These variations illustrate the phonetic spelling practices of centuries past and reflect regional dialects.
One of the significant bearers of the surname was Richard Wiper, born in Yorkshire around 1450. He was known to be a prominent weaver and cloth merchant in his local community, contributing to the thriving textile industry. Another noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Wiper, born in 1603 in Lancashire, who was known to have maintained the family business after the death of her husband, illustrating the enduring nature of the family's trade.
In the 18th century, Thomas Wiper, born in 1738, migrated to London, where he became a successful merchant. He established trade connections that helped expand the family business beyond the textile industry, a testament to the evolving nature of commercial practices during the Industrial Revolution.
In the early 19th century, another prominent figure was William Wiper, born in 1802, a noted philanthropist and local benefactor in Lancashire. He established schools and charitable institutions, contributing to the welfare and education of the underprivileged in his community.
Lastly, Sarah Wiper, born in 1841 in Yorkshire, became a renowned poet and author. Her literary works often celebrated the working-class life and traditions of the northern counties, highlighting the cultural richness of her heritage.
The Wiper surname, with its deep-rooted connections to the textile industry and its social contributions over generations, reflects a rich historical tapestry. Each bearer of the name has helped shape its legacy, intertwining their personal stories with the broader historical narrative of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiper
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiper, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiper 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 Wiper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Black or African American4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiper
Wiper 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,103 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,617 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,103 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 4,617 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 Wiper 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 | #141,140 | #145,757 | -3.3% |
| Count | 118 | 115 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiper bearers went from 118 to 115 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 4,617 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #145,757.
FAQ
Wiper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiper?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Wiper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Wiper?
Wiper ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Wiper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wiper.
Has Wiper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiper went from 118 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiper, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Wiper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Black (4.3%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Wiper (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 Wiper mean?
An occupational surname derived from someone who worked as a wiper or cleaner of surfaces. 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 Wiper (0.04 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 are called Wiper?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Wiper? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.