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

Wollam, 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 Wollam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wollam in America

Wollam is the 29198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wollam surname appeared 811 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wollam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wollam 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 Wollam

The surname Wollam is believed to have originated in England, specifically during the medieval period. The name is likely to have been derived from a place name or geographic feature. The suffix "-am" is indicative of a common Old English habitational surname formation, with roots meaning "homestead" or "village." The first part of the name could be derived from the Old English words "wulf," meaning wolf, or "wella," meaning a well or spring, suggesting a characteristic of the place where the family originating the surname resided.

Historical references to the surname Wollam appear sporadically in medieval English records. While the surname does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, other records from the 13th and 14th centuries contain variations of the name, reflecting the fluid spelling conventions of the time. For instance, Woollam and Wolham are variants seen in old parish registers and manorial records.

An early recorded example of the surname is Thomas de Wolham, mentioned in a 1327 subsidy roll for Somerset. During this period, surnames were still quite fluid, and the geographic identifiers were commonly used to denote individuals' origins or primary residence. By the mid-15th century, the spelling Wollam became more standardized, as seen in wills and testamentary documents preserved from that time.

In England, Thomas Wollam, born around 1555, is one of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name in a relatively modern form. He appears in church records for Worcestershire, having been recorded in marriage and baptismal entries. During the 17th century, several Wollams emigrated to the American colonies, establishing the name in the New World. Notably, John Wollam, who was born in 1622 and emigrated to Massachusetts, is significant for tracing the surname's history across the Atlantic.

Further into history, Major Richard Wollam, a soldier in the English Civil War, born in 1610 and died in 1658, provided early examples of the name in military records. He served under the Parliamentary forces during the complex conflicts of the mid-17th century England.

By the 18th century, the Wollam surname spread through various parts of England and the American colonies. Samuel Wollam, born in 1704 in Kent, England, rose to prominence as a local businessman and philanthropist, thus contributing to the documented histories of his time.

Eliza Wollam, born in 1774 and known for her written correspondences during the early 19th century, further highlights the pervasiveness of the surname. Her letters provide unique insights into rural English life, capturing everyday occurrences and familial connections.

Another notable historical figure is Thomas Wollam, born in 1803 and known for his early industrial endeavors in the north of England. As many Wollams moved during the Industrial Revolution, they left records in employment, census, and ship passenger logs, thus adding to the surname's historical documentation.

The surname Wollam, with its rich medieval English roots and historical presence, illustrates the evolving nature of surnames influenced by geographic, social, and cultural shifts over many centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wollam

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

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 Wollam 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 Wollam 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 Wollam was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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