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

Wootton, 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 Wootton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wootton in America

Wootton is the 13616th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wootton surname appeared 2,225 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 Wootton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wootton 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 Wootton

The surname Wootton originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is a locational name, derived from any of the several places called Wootton scattered across various counties, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Staffordshire. The name itself is derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "tun" meaning enclosure or settlement, indicating that the original bearers of this name hailed from a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Wootton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wodtune" in reference to a settlement in Hampshire. This demonstrates the longevity and historical significance of the name.

An early bearer of the name was Sir Robert de Wootton, who was born in Northamptonshire in the late 12th century and served as a prominent knight during the reign of King John. Another notable figure was Thomas Wootton, a 16th-century English painter who was born in Wootton, Oxfordshire, around 1497 and was renowned for his portraiture.

During the 13th century, the name Wootton was also associated with a place in Staffordshire, which was recorded as "Wottone" in historical documents from that time. This further highlights the connection between the surname and various place names across England.

In the 17th century, John Wootton, born around 1670 in Oxfordshire, became a respected portrait painter and was appointed as a painter to the British Crown. His works can be found in prestigious collections, including those of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Another significant individual bearing the Wootton surname was William Wootton, a prominent English architect who lived in the 18th century. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Shire Hall in Chelmsford, Essex, and the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford.

These examples demonstrate the historical significance and prevalence of the surname Wootton, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including knights, artists, and architects, over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wootton

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

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

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

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