2000
#14,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,965
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Wroten
Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on the snout of land" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,066 Americans carry the last name Wroten. That puts it at #15,607 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wroten 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
2.1K
1 in 165,902
Census rank
#15,607
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,802 bearers of the surname Wroten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15607th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wroten, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.5%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wroten
The surname Wroten originated in England and dates back to medieval times. It is derived from the Old English words "wrod" and "tun," meaning a "wood" or "clearing in a wood." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wroten can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Wrotena" in this historic document, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Wroten was predominantly found in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire in the southwest of England. This suggests that the name may have originated in these areas, where settlements and farmlands were often established near wooded areas or clearings.
In the 14th century, records show a John Wroten who was a landowner in Somerset. Another notable figure from this era was William Wroten, a merchant from Bristol born in 1375, who traded goods across the English Channel with France and the Low Countries.
In the 16th century, the surname Wroten appeared in various forms, such as Wroughton and Wroten, reflecting the evolution of spelling over time. One prominent individual was Sir Thomas Wroten (1584-1672), a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Arthur Wroten (1626-1708), a renowned English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Brightwaltham in Berkshire. His published works included theological treatises and sermons that were widely read during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, James Wroten (1721-1793) was a notable figure from Somerset. He was a successful merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community, serving as a magistrate and contributing to various civic projects.
Throughout its history, the surname Wroten has maintained a strong presence in the southwest of England, particularly in Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire, where it originated. While the name has also spread to other parts of the country and beyond, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period and the Old English words that gave it its distinctive meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wroten
Among Census respondents with the surname Wroten, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.5%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wroten 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 Wroten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.5% · 1,145
- Black or African American25.1% · 453
- Two or more races5.0% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wroten
Wroten 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
#14,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,995
+30 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 784 places
2020
#15,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,802
-193 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 759 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,064 | 1,965 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,848 | 1,995 | 0.68 | +30 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 784 places |
| 2020 | #15,607 | 1,802 | 0.60 | -193 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 759 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 Wroten 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 | #14,848 | #15,607 | -5.1% |
| Count | 1,995 | 1,802 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.60 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wroten bearers went from 1,995 to 1,802 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 759 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,848 to #15,607.
FAQ
Wroten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wroten?
Name Census estimates that about 2,066 living Americans carry the surname Wroten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,902 residents.
How common is Wroten?
Wroten ranks #15,607 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,802 people with the surname Wroten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wroten.
Has Wroten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wroten went from 1,995 recorded bearers to 1,802. That is a decrease of 193 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,848 to #15,607.
What does the Census say about the background of Wroten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wroten, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.5%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Wroten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.5% (1,145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wroten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.5%), Black (25.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Wroten (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 Wroten mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on the snout of land" in Old English. 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 Wroten (0.60 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 are called Wroten?
See how many Americans have the surname Wroten on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.