2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wrestler
An occupational surname referring to someone who wrestled as a sport or profession.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Wrestler. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wrestler 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Wrestler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrestler, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wrestler
The surname Wrestler is of English origin and emerges from around the late medieval period. The name is rooted in the Middle English words "wrestlen" or "wrastlen," which derive from the Old English verb "wræstlian," meaning to wrestle or grapple. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to individuals who were wrestlers by profession or notable for their wrestling prowess.
This surname is predominantly found in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in Northern England, areas historically famed for their wrestling traditions. Records show that by the 14th century, wrestling was a well-established sport in these regions, often associated with celebrations and regional fairs.
One of the earliest references to the name Wrestler appears in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Johanna Wresteler is mentioned. Her name suggests that the surname may have been gender-neutral or that it might sometimes refer to the wrestling prowess of a family member, rather than the individual themselves.
In the 16th century, the name seems to gain more prominence as wrestling became an increasingly popular sport. Another early example is Christopher Wrestler, born in 1524 in Lancashire. He is noted in local parish records for his involvement in regional wrestling matches, further solidifying the occupational nature of the surname.
The surname Wrestler appears in Elizabethan England, particularly noticeable in the works of playwrights and in court records. For instance, Thomas Wrestler, born around 1575 and a contemporary of William Shakespeare, is mentioned in legal documents of the time. He was recorded as a participant in various guild-sponsored events showcasing traditional sports.
In the 17th century, the name Wrestler continues to appear in colonial records as English settlers migrated to the New World. Notable among them is John Wrestler, born in 1602 in Yorkshire, who emigrated to Massachusetts around 1630. He is recorded in early colonial documents and contributed to the establishment of wrestling as a sport in New England.
By the 18th century, the legacy of the name Wrestler persisted, with figures like Richard Wrestler, born in 1731, who is documented in military records during the American Revolutionary War. His service and subsequent mention in pension records helped preserve the name in American historical contexts.
Famous examples from the 19th century include Mary Wrestler, born in 1810 in Lancashire, known for her writings on traditional English rural sports, including wrestling. Her works provide valuable insight into the regional culture of wrestling and the individuals associated with the sport, including those who bore the surname.
Through these recorded instances, it is clear that the surname Wrestler has deep historical roots linked to the traditional sport of wrestling and has been carried by notable individuals spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wrestler
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrestler, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wrestler 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 Wrestler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino14.7% · 17
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wrestler
Wrestler 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-17 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,667 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,173 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 23,667 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 1,173 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 Wrestler 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 | #146,201 | #145,028 | 0.8% |
| Count | 113 | 116 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wrestler bearers went from 113 to 116 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 1,173 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #145,028.
FAQ
Wrestler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wrestler?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Wrestler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Wrestler?
Wrestler ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Wrestler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Wrestler.
Has Wrestler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wrestler went from 113 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Wrestler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrestler, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Wrestler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wrestler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Hispanic (14.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Wrestler (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 Wrestler mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who wrestled as a sport or profession. 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 Wrestler (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 Wrestler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.