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

Wonder, 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 Wonder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wonder in America

Wonder is the 30600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wonder surname appeared 762 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 Wonder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wonder 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 Wonder

The surname Wonder is intriguing, with roots that appear to trace back primarily to medieval England. The earliest known origins of the name can be found in the Old English period, dating roughly from the 11th to the 13th centuries. The name is associated with various phonetic renderings and spellings in historical documents, potentially derived from the Old English word "wundor," which means "marvel" or "wonder."

One hypothesis is that Wonder could have been a nickname for someone who was considered wonderful or astonishing in some way, possibly due to a remarkable skill or appearance. Alternatively, it may have been a locative surname, referring to a place once named with a similar term, though specific locales with such names are hard to pinpoint in surviving records.

The Domesday Book of 1086 does not appear to list Wonder, suggesting the name might have come into common use slightly later. However, by the 13th century, records begin to show instances of the name. An early recorded instance is John Wonder, mentioned in a Surrey tax record from around 1296, indicating the name was in use by this period.

By the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Wonder appears sporadically in various parts of England. For example, William Wonder, a yeoman from Kent, is noted in the parish records from the early 1500s. Another instance is Thomas Wonder, born circa 1571, who is documented as a merchant in London in the early 1600s.

In addition to England, the surname eventually found its way to other parts of the world through migration. A noteworthy figure is Johann Wonder, a German-born settler who moved to America in the early 1700s. His lineage is well documented in Pennsylvania, where many of his descendants became prominent members of the community.

One of the most famous modern bearers of the surname is Stevie Wonder, born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in 1950. This American musician, though born after the period typically focused on in historical etymology studies, brought a unique fame to the surname, linking it with his legendary status in the music industry.

The surname Wonder is relatively rare but carries a rich history intertwined with much mystery, primarily rooted in England, and shows the varied ways in which surnames can evolve from nicknames, locative references, or even personal attributes admired by others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wonder

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

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

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

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