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

Wright, 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 Wright surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wright in America

Wright is the 35th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wright surname appeared 458,980 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 156 people would have the surname Wright.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wright 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 Wright

The surname Wright is an occupational name that originated in England during the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word 'wyrhta', meaning a skilled worker or craftsman. Initially, the name referred to occupations such as carpenters, builders, or makers of wooden objects like carts and wagons.

The earliest known record of the Wright surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Wrichte' and 'Wrighteson'. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in various parts of England.

Over time, the name spread across different regions of the country, resulting in various spellings such as Wrighte, Wryght, andWright. These variations often reflected local dialects and pronunciation preferences.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Wright surname was John le Wryghte, who lived in Yorkshire during the 13th century. Another notable figure was Robert Wright, a prominent English mathematician and astronomer born in 1561 in Norfolk.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Wright surname became associated with several influential families and individuals. Sir Nathan Wright (1654-1721) was a notable English lawyer and judge, while Silas Wright (1795-1847) was a prominent American politician and Governor of New York.

The surname also has connections to place names. For instance, the village of Wrightington in Lancashire derived its name from the Old English 'Wrythingtun', meaning 'the settlement of the Wright family'.

Other notable individuals with the Wright surname include the Wright brothers, Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur (1867-1912), who are credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful motor-operated airplane in 1903. Additionally, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was a renowned American architect and designer, known for his pioneering work in the Prairie School movement.

The Wright surname has been carried by many other notable figures throughout history, including writers, artists, scientists, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this occupational name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wright

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

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

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

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