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

Wooton, 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 Wooton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wooton in America

Wooton is the 14970th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wooton surname appeared 1,975 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 Wooton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wooton 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 Wooton

The surname Wooton has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood, and "tun" meaning a farm or settlement, essentially translating to a "settlement in the woods." The earliest known spelling variations of the name include Wodetoune, Wodeton, and Wodetun.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Walter de Wodetoune holding lands in Devon. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of southern England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Wooton surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. Several places in these regions, such as Wootton Bassett and Wootton-under-Edge, are believed to have influenced the surname's spelling and spread.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named William de Wooton served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1268 to 1301. He was born in Wootton, Oxfordshire, around 1220 and played a significant role in the ecclesiastical and political affairs of his time.

Another historical figure bearing the Wooton surname was Sir Henry Wooton (1568-1639), an English author, diplomat, and courtier during the reign of King James I. He served as the Ambassador to Venice and is known for his famous quote, "An ambassador is an honest man sent to lie abroad for the commonwealth."

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Colonel Thomas Wooton (1588-1666) was a prominent military commander who fought for the Parliamentarian forces against King Charles I. He was later appointed as the Governor of Coventry and played a crucial role in defending the city against Royalist forces.

In the literary world, John Wooton (1679-1765) was an English clergyman and poet best known for his epic poem "The Life of the Reverend Mr. John Wooton" published in 1725. The poem provides insights into the life and times of the author and his contemporaries.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Wooton (1737-1806), a British naval officer and explorer. He is credited with the discovery of several islands in the South Pacific, including the Wooton Islands, now known as the Wallis and Futuna Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wooton

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

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

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

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