2000
#74,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 241
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Woolner
An English surname likely derived from an Old English word meaning 'wool worker' or 'wool dealer'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 287 Americans carry the last name Woolner. That puts it at #81,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,194,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woolner 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 Woolner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
287
1 in 1,194,266
Census rank
#81,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
250
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 250 bearers of the surname Woolner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woolner
The surname Woolner originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have emerged in the eastern counties of England, particularly Norfolk and Suffolk, during the 13th century. The name Woolner is a variant of the medieval occupational surname "Wolnare," which means wool merchant or wool worker. This derivation is rooted in the Old English word "wull," meaning wool, and "ner," a suffix denoting an agent or person involved in a particular trade.
Historical references to the surname Woolner are found in various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest known uses of the surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John Wolner is recorded in Norfolk. The name was also present in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327 and 1524, suggesting a consistent presence in this region for several centuries.
The earliest recorded examples of the surname exhibit slight variations in spelling, reflective of the phonetic interpretations of the time. Records show the name spelled as Wolnare, Wolner, and Wollnere in different documents. This fluctuation in spelling is common among English surnames from the medieval period due to the lack of standardized spelling rules.
Among the known historical figures with the surname Woolner, Thomas Woolner stands out. Born in 1825 and deceased in 1892, he was a prominent British sculptor and poet, and one of the founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His works and influence in the artistic movement mark a significant point in cultural history.
Another notable individual is Richard Woolner, who lived during the 16th century and was documented as a prosperous wool merchant in Suffolk. His business dealings and contributions to the local economy are recorded in various regional archives, reflecting the importance of the wool industry in that era.
In the 17th century, Daniel Woolner, a clergyman born in 1643, gained recognition for his sermons and religious writings. His works contributed to the theological discourse of his time and were published in several collections of religious texts.
In the realm of politics, George Woolner, born in 1811, served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ipswich in the mid-19th century. His tenure was marked by advocacy for local economic interests and social reforms, illustrating the evolving role of individuals with this surname in public life.
Lastly, Elizabeth Woolner, a social reformer and educator born in the late 18th century, made significant contributions to the development of educational programs for women and children. Her efforts are documented in various educational reforms and charity works of the early 19th century, underscoring the social impact of the Woolner family.
The surname Woolner, through its historical references and notable bearers, encapsulates a rich tapestry of occupational, cultural, and social histories, reflecting the evolution of English society from the medieval period to the modern era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woolner
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Woolner 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 Woolner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 240
- Two or more races3.2% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woolner
Woolner 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
#77,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 249
+8 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 2,337 places
2020
#81,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
+1 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 4,562 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74,675 | 241 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,012 | 249 | 0.08 | +8 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 2,337 places |
| 2020 | #81,574 | 250 | 0.08 | +1 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 4,562 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 Woolner 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 | #77,012 | #81,574 | -5.9% |
| Count | 249 | 250 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woolner bearers went from 249 to 250 (+0.4% change). The surname moved down 4,562 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,012 to #81,574.
FAQ
Woolner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woolner?
Name Census estimates that about 287 living Americans carry the surname Woolner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,194,266 residents.
How common is Woolner?
Woolner ranks #81,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 250 people with the surname Woolner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Woolner.
Has Woolner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woolner went from 249 recorded bearers to 250. That is an increase of 1 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #77,012 to #81,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Woolner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Woolner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (240 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woolner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Woolner (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 Woolner mean?
An English surname likely derived from an Old English word meaning 'wool worker' or 'wool dealer'. 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 Woolner (0.08 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 have the surname Woolner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.