Wolverton last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wolverton

A locational surname derived from a place in Buckinghamshire, England, likely meaning "enclosure of wolves."

Wolverton, 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 Wolverton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wolverton in America

Wolverton is the 8828th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wolverton surname appeared 3,711 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wolverton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wolverton 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 8828 8069 8.98%
Count 3,711 3,786 -2.00%
Proportion per 100k 1.26 1.40 -10.53%

The history of the last name Wolverton

The surname WOLVERTON originated in England, emerging during the late Anglo-Saxon period in the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the village of Wolverton, located in Buckinghamshire. The name is composed of two Old English elements: "wulf" meaning wolf, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting it was originally a place inhabited or frequented by wolves.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Wlwardus de Wolurinton, indicating the surname's early form as Wolurinton. This entry provides evidence that the name was in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Wolverinton, Wolverinton, and Wolvreton, reflecting the evolution of the spelling over time. In 1273, a William de Wolverton is recorded as a landowner in Buckinghamshire, further cementing the surname's association with the region.

Notable individuals bearing the WOLVERTON surname include Sir Isaac Wolverton (1573-1648), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was John Wolverton (1592-1669), a Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious texts, including "The Christian's Guide to Eternal Life" (1638).

In the 18th century, Samuel Wolverton (1720-1793) was a renowned clockmaker from Buckinghamshire, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons. During the same period, Elizabeth Wolverton (1746-1819) gained recognition as a pioneering female botanist, contributing significant research on the flora of the English countryside.

The 19th century saw the rise of Sir Walter Wolverton (1811-1891), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He was knighted for his charitable works, which included establishing several schools and hospitals in his native Buckinghamshire.

While the surname WOLVERTON has its origins rooted in a specific English village, over the centuries, it has spread across the globe, carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from politics and religion to science and industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wolverton

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

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 Wolverton was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.99% 3,451
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.81% 67
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.43% 16
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.92% 34
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.78% 66
Hispanic Origin 2.07% 77

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 Wolverton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.99% 94.64% -1.76%
Black 1.81% 1.69% 6.86%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.43% 0.48% -10.99%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.92% 0.53% 53.79%
Two or More Races 1.78% 1.37% 26.03%
Hispanic 2.07% 1.29% 46.43%

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

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

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"Wolverton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wolverton-surname-popularity/.

"Wolverton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wolverton-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Wolverton last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/wolverton-surname-popularity/.

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