Wraggs last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wraggs

A surname transferred from a dialectal English term possibly relating to wandering or vagrancy.

Wraggs, 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 Wraggs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wraggs in America

Wraggs is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wraggs surname appeared 171 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 Wraggs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wraggs 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 104602 127948 -20.08%
Count 171 123 32.65%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.05 18.18%

The history of the last name Wraggs

The surname Wraggs has its origins in England and is thought to have emerged in the medieval period, most likely around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Middle English word "wragg," which referred to a rugged or twisted object, perhaps indicating a physical characteristic or a location. The areas most commonly associated with the surname Wraggs are in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, where similar place names and surnames have been documented.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Richard Wragg and a Cecilia Wragg were listed as paying taxes in their respective parishes. This suggests that the surname had already been well-established in the region by the late 14th century. The name also appeared in various church records, such as baptism and burial registries, further cementing its historical presence in Northern England.

An early notable individual bearing this surname is John Wragg, who was recorded as a yeoman in Derbyshire in the early 16th century. The yeoman class was a significant stratum of society, often responsible for managing land and contributing to local governance. This suggests that the Wraggs family was well-integrated and respected within their community during this period.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the Hearth Tax Returns, a document recording hearth taxes collected in 1662. William Wragg is listed in Sheffield, indicating the family's continued presence and socioeconomic activities in Yorkshire. Additionally, a Phillippa Wragg was recorded in the parish registers of St. Peter's in Leeds around the same time, pointing to the spread of the surname across various towns in Northern England.

Another significant figure was Sir Charles Wragg, born in 1823 and deceased in 1898, who gained prominence as an industrialist during the height of the Industrial Revolution. His innovations in metalwork and engineering left a lasting legacy on the manufacturing landscape of the Midlands, illustrating the continuing influence of the Wragg name in English history.

Finally, one cannot overlook the cultural contributions of the Wraggs family. Samuel Wragg, born in 1704 and deceased in 1772, was a noted poet and pamphleteer whose works were widely circulated in both England and the American colonies. His poetic endeavors and political commentaries provide a glimpse into the intellectual currents of the 18th century, highlighting the varied accomplishments of individuals bearing this surname.

Throughout history, the surname Wraggs has demonstrated a remarkable degree of continuity and impact across different fields, from local governance and industrial achievements to cultural contributions. The historical trajectory of the Wraggs family underscores the rich and multifaceted heritage of this distinctive English surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wraggs

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

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 Wraggs was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.09% 7
Non-Hispanic Black Only 92.98% 159
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Wraggs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.09% 8.13% -66.12%
Black 92.98% 86.99% 6.66%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Wraggs last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wraggs-surname-popularity/.

"Wraggs last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wraggs-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Wraggs last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/wraggs-surname-popularity/.

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