Find out how popular the last name Wiseman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wiseman.

Wiseman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wiseman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiseman in America

Wiseman is the 1845th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiseman surname appeared 19,439 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Wiseman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiseman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wiseman

The surname WISEMAN is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words 'wis' meaning wise and 'man' meaning person. The name was given to someone considered to be a wise or learned individual.

During the medieval period, the name WISEMAN appeared in various records and manuscripts. One of the earliest recorded instances was found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, indicating its presence in that region.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname WISEMAN was Roger le Wiseman, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1260. Another notable figure was John Wiseman, a prominent merchant and landowner from Somerset, who lived during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name WISEMAN was associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the village of Wiseman's Green in Oxfordshire was once known as Wysemannes Grene, derived from the surname. Similarly, the town of Wiseman's Bridge in Pembrokeshire, Wales, was originally called Wysmanbrigge.

Among the famous bearers of the surname WISEMAN, one can mention Sir William Wiseman (1600-1676), an English diplomat and courtier who served as the ambassador to Spain during the reign of Charles II. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Wiseman (1801-1865), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed parts of the Australian coastline.

During the 17th century, the WISEMAN surname gained prominence with the rise of Sir Richard Wiseman (1622-1676), a renowned English surgeon and physician who served as the Sergeant-Surgeon to Charles II. He made significant contributions to the field of medicine and authored several influential works, including "Severall Chirurgicall Treatises" published in 1676.

Another prominent individual with the surname WISEMAN was Nicholas Patrick Wiseman (1802-1865), an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a leading figure in the Catholic revival in England and played a crucial role in the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in the country.

The WISEMAN surname has a rich history and has been associated with various notable figures throughout the centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, reflecting the occupation and perceived wisdom of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiseman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wiseman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wiseman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wiseman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wiseman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wiseman, please contact us.

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