2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wooledge
A surname likely derived from a place name containing wool-related elements.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Wooledge. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wooledge 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.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Wooledge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wooledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wooledge
The surname Wooledge is of English origin, and its history dates back to at least the medieval period. More specifically, the name seems to be rooted in the counties of Essex and Lincolnshire, areas known for their farming communities during the Middle Ages. It is likely to be a locational surname, deriving from place names or notable geographical features within the English countryside.
The name Wooledge is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood, and "leah" meaning clearing or meadow. This indicates that early bearers of the surname could have lived near or in woodland areas that had been cleared for settlement or farming. Similar historical variations include Woolwich, referring to a town famed for its woodlands near the Thames.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Wooledge appears in a 13th century manuscript, where a John de Wodelegh is noted. His last name indicates an important family from a wood-meadow area, showing the locational nature of the surname. Another early reference is found in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of Essex, where a Robert le Wodelegh is documented.
Thomas Wooledge, born in 1623 and died in 1679, was an English farmer whose records appear in the parish registers of Lincolnshire. This demonstrates the persistence of the name in agricultural areas. Furthermore, the variation "Woolidge" is noted in the 15th century as seen in the marriage record of Margaret Woolidge from Essex in 1498.
In historical reference, Matthew Wooledge, a notable figure from the late 18th century, was a British merchant born in 1762 and died in 1830. His presence in commercial records from London highlights the surname's transition into more urban settings as England evolved economically during the Industrial Revolution.
By the 19th century, the surname Wooledge appeared in military service records, notably with William Wooledge, a British soldier born in 1820 who served in the Crimean War. His records offer insights into the diversification of professional roles undertaken by bearers of the surname.
In summary, the surname Wooledge has a rich historical lineage, rooted in England's medieval landscape, evolving through centuries from its agrarian origins to various social and professional standings. The name’s ties to woodlands and clearings reflect an ancient connection to the English countryside, documented through several historical records and notable bearers who contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wooledge
Among Census respondents with the surname Wooledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wooledge 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 Wooledge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 93
- Two or more races12.2% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wooledge
Wooledge 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,539 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+15 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,539 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 15,218 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 Wooledge 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 | #160,975 | #145,757 | 9.5% |
| Count | 100 | 115 | 15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wooledge bearers went from 100 to 115 (+15.0% change). The surname moved up 15,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #145,757.
FAQ
Wooledge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wooledge?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Wooledge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Wooledge?
Wooledge ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Wooledge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wooledge.
Has Wooledge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wooledge went from 100 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 15 (+15.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Wooledge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wooledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). 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 Wooledge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wooledge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Two or More Races (12.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). 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 Wooledge (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 Wooledge mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name containing wool-related elements. 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 Wooledge (0.04 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 people share the surname Wooledge?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.