2000
#12,730
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Wix
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of wicks for candles or lamps.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,137 Americans carry the last name Wix. That puts it at #15,179 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,390 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wix 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 Wix with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,390
Census rank
#15,179
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,864 bearers of the surname Wix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15179th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wix, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wix
The surname Wix has its origins in England, tracing back to the 11th century and the Norman Conquest. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "wic," meaning a dwelling or a village, and was likely used as a locational surname to identify someone from a particular village or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wix can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Wice" and "Wice," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and orthography common during that time.
The village of Wix in Essex, England, is considered to be the place of origin for many individuals bearing this surname. The name is also associated with other locations, such as Wix in Hertfordshire and Wix in Norfolk, suggesting that the surname may have arisen independently in different regions.
One notable figure in history with the surname Wix was Sir Thomas Wix (c. 1535-1599), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Essex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was Sir William Wix (1567-1636), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who was instrumental in establishing the Wix Charity School in Boston, Lincolnshire.
In the literary world, William Wix (1768-1846) was an English clergyman and writer who published several works on religious topics, including "A Series of Lectures on the Apostles' Creed" and "The Scripture Doctrine of the Proper Divinity of Our Blessed Saviour Defended."
Henrietta Wix (1815-1891) was a notable English artist and author, known for her illustrations in books such as "Flower Fables" by Louisa May Alcott. She also wrote and illustrated her own works, including "Bible Stories for Children" and "Grandmamma's Nursery Stories."
Another individual of note was Sir Samuel Wix (1822-1886), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early cable communication systems. He was knighted for his work in laying the first successful transatlantic cable in 1858.
While these are just a few examples, the surname Wix has a rich history spanning centuries and can be found in various regions of England, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have borne this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wix
Among Census respondents with the surname Wix, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wix 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 Wix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 1,702
- Two or more races4.3% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 34
- Black or African American1.7% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wix
Wix 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
#15,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,939
-288 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 2,464 places
2020
#15,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,864
-75 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,730 | 2,227 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,194 | 1,939 | 0.66 | -288 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 2,464 places |
| 2020 | #15,179 | 1,864 | 0.62 | -75 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 15 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 Wix 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 | #15,194 | #15,179 | 0.1% |
| Count | 1,939 | 1,864 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.62 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wix bearers went from 1,939 to 1,864 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,194 to #15,179.
FAQ
Wix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wix?
Name Census estimates that about 2,137 living Americans carry the surname Wix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,390 residents.
How common is Wix?
Wix ranks #15,179 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,864 people with the surname Wix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Wix.
Has Wix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wix went from 1,939 recorded bearers to 1,864. That is a decrease of 75 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,194 to #15,179.
What does the Census say about the background of Wix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wix, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Wix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (1,702 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Wix (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 Wix mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of wicks for candles or lamps. 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 Wix (0.62 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 Wix?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.