2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wulforst
A surname derived from an Old English phrase meaning "wolf forest" or "forest of wolves".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Wulforst. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wulforst 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Wulforst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wulforst, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wulforst
The surname Wulforst has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "wulf" meaning "wolf" and "forst" meaning "frost." The combination of these elements likely referred to someone who was considered as formidable or resilient as a wolf in winter conditions, suggesting a strong and enduring character.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Wulforst appear in various historical manuscripts from the 11th to the 13th centuries. One of the first known mentions was in a regional tax record from Norfolk in the year 1199, where a certain Alwin Wulforst was listed as a landowner. This indicates that the name was established in East Anglia, a region that encompassed the areas of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.
In the early 13th century, another prominent figure by the name of Robert Wulforst appeared in legal documents concerning a land dispute in Lincolnshire, dated around 1220. The name's spelling remained fairly consistent, although occasional variations such as Wolfrost and Wulfurst were also documented, reflecting the phonetic spelling practices of the time.
William Wulforst was a notable individual who served as a knight under King Henry III during the mid-13th century. His service in the military campaigns and documented grants of land in Yorkshire illustrate that the surname had by then spread across different parts of England. He is recorded to have died in 1275, leaving behind a legacy as a loyal servant to the Crown.
A more peculiar mention comes from the ecclesiastical records of Canterbury in 1367, where a cleric named Thomas Wulforst was involved in the administration of the diocesan assets. His role within the church indicates the penetration of the surname into various social strata, from nobility to clergy.
Moving forward to the Tudor period, a merchant named John Wulforst was recorded in the borough of Bristol in 1534. His mercantile activities and records of trade with the Low Countries reflect the commercial expansion of England during this era and the geographical dispersion of families bearing the name.
The surname also appears in the annals of exploration, with Henry Wulforst, a navigator who accompanied Sir Humphrey Gilbert on his voyage to North America in 1583. Although the fleet's mission to establish a colony was fraught with difficulties, Henry's name is inscribed in the records as part of the crew, highlighting the adventurous and enterprising spirit often associated with surnames rooted in the Anglo-Saxon period. Henry Wulforst was born in 1542 and his adventurous life came to an end in 1584.
Throughout history, the Wulforst surname has been associated with various individuals who played significant roles in their respective fields. This richness in history illustrates the evolution of the name through centuries, retaining its unique identity while adapting to different regions and societal changes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wulforst
Among Census respondents with the surname Wulforst, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wulforst 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 Wulforst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wulforst
Wulforst 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+14 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,550 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-9 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 3,550 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 10,670 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 Wulforst 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 | #131,379 | #142,049 | -8.1% |
| Count | 129 | 120 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wulforst bearers went from 129 to 120 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 10,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #142,049.
FAQ
Wulforst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wulforst?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Wulforst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Wulforst?
Wulforst ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Wulforst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Wulforst.
Has Wulforst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wulforst went from 129 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Wulforst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wulforst, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wulforst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wulforst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Wulforst (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 Wulforst mean?
A surname derived from an Old English phrase meaning "wolf forest" or "forest of wolves". 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 Wulforst (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 Wulforst?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.