2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wrightstone
An English surname derived from a dwelling or estate with a stony building material.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Wrightstone. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wrightstone 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Wrightstone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrightstone, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wrightstone
The surname Wrightstone is believed to have its origins in England during the medieval period. This surname combines two elements: "Wright," an occupational name derived from the Old English word "wyrhta," meaning a worker or craftsman, and "Stone," likely referring to a geographic feature or material significant to the person or family.
Wrightstone appears to have originated in areas where stone masonry or craftsmanship was a prominent part of community life, such as in the counties of Yorkshire and Cornwall. The name could have referred to a person who was a skilled worker in stone, a mason, or someone who lived near a notable stone landmark.
The earliest recorded instance of a similar surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where numerous occupational surnames, including Wright, were documented. While Wrightstone itself does not appear in such an early manuscript, the components did exist, suggesting that the combined surname emerged slightly later as occupational and locational surnames evolved.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Wrightstone was John Wrightstone, born in 1456 in a small village in Yorkshire. His name appeared in local parish records as a stonemason who contributed to the construction of the village church.
In the mid-1500s, another notable Wrightstone was Isabella Wrightstone, born in 1532, who was mentioned in court records in Cornwall. She was involved in a legal dispute regarding the ownership of a stone quarry, indicating the family’s involvement in the stone industry.
By the early 17th century, the surname had spread to other regions of England. Thomas Wrightstone, born in 1601 in London, was a prominent craftsman who contributed to the rebuilding efforts following the Great Fire of London in 1666. His work on stone buildings was well-documented in municipal records.
In the 18th century, Henry Wrightstone, born in 1729, emigrated to the American colonies, specifically to Pennsylvania. Henry became a respected builder, and his work on colonial architecture left a lasting mark in the area. His descendants played significant roles in local development and are listed in various historical documents related to early American settlement.
In the 19th century, Sarah Wrightstone, born in 1805, gained some notoriety as a writer and social reformer in England. Her essays and pamphlets on workers’ rights and conditions in the stone and construction industries were influential during the early industrial period, and she is remembered for her contributions to social change.
Throughout history, the Wrightstone surname has been associated with craftsmanship, stone masonry, and notable contributions to architecture and industry. The name evolved from its Old English roots and became a marker of the skills and geographical significance of the families who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wrightstone
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrightstone, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wrightstone 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 Wrightstone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- Black or African American4.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wrightstone
Wrightstone 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+4 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,971 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-12 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,901 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 4,971 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 12,901 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 Wrightstone 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 | #130,610 | #143,511 | -9.9% |
| Count | 130 | 118 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wrightstone bearers went from 130 to 118 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 12,901 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #143,511.
FAQ
Wrightstone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wrightstone?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Wrightstone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Wrightstone?
Wrightstone ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Wrightstone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Wrightstone.
Has Wrightstone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wrightstone went from 130 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Wrightstone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wrightstone, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Wrightstone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wrightstone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Wrightstone (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 Wrightstone mean?
An English surname derived from a dwelling or estate with a stony building material. 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 Wrightstone (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 Americans have the surname Wrightstone?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.