2000
#1,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,813
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.97
Uncommon Last name
Wiseman
An English surname referring to a wise or learned person, or one who imparts knowledge and advice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,248 Americans carry the last name Wiseman. That puts it at #1,904 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,131 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiseman 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 Wiseman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,131
Census rank
#1,904
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,529 bearers of the surname Wiseman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1904th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiseman
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiseman 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 Wiseman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 15,830
- Black or African American6.3% · 1,170
- Two or more races3.6% · 672
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 599
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 122
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiseman
Wiseman 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
#1,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,439
+626 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 6.59
Rank movement Down 100 places
2020
#1,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,529
-910 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 6.20
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,745 | 18,813 | 6.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,845 | 19,439 | 6.59 | +626 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 100 places |
| 2020 | #1,904 | 18,529 | 6.20 | -910 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 59 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 Wiseman 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 | #1,845 | #1,904 | -3.2% |
| Count | 19,439 | 18,529 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.59 | 6.20 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiseman bearers went from 19,439 to 18,529 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,845 to #1,904.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wiseman
FAQ
Wiseman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiseman?
Name Census estimates that about 21,248 living Americans carry the surname Wiseman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,131 residents.
How common is Wiseman?
Wiseman ranks #1,904 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,529 people with the surname Wiseman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,248), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Wiseman.
Has Wiseman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiseman went from 19,439 recorded bearers to 18,529. That is a decrease of 910 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,845 to #1,904.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiseman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Wiseman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (15,830 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiseman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (6.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Wiseman (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 Wiseman mean?
An English surname referring to a wise or learned person, or one who imparts knowledge and advice. 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 Wiseman (6.20 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 Americans have the surname Wiseman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.