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

Wyan, 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 Wyan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wyan in America

Wyan is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wyan surname appeared 163 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wyan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wyan 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 Wyan

The surname Wyan is believed to have Anglo-Saxon origins, dating back to the early Middle Ages in England. The name likely traces its roots to regions within England, particularly in areas such as Lancashire and Yorkshire. Its etymology is closely linked to the Old English word "wig," meaning war or battle, and "hām," which translates to home or settlement.

One of the earliest confirmed uses of the name appears in a 13th-century manuscript, where a family by the name of Wyan was documented in Lancashire. This surname has also been found in various historical records such as tax rolls, legal documents, and land grants during the 14th and 15th centuries.

The Wyan surname has been recorded in several forms throughout history, including Wigham and Wyham. In 1327, a document from Yorkshire mentioned a Robert de Wyham, indicating the early presence of the surname in this area. By the 16th century, the form Wyan began to be more frequently documented.

One notable individual bearing the surname Wyan was Geoffrey Wyan, born in 1480 and recorded as a local landowner in Lancaster. In the 17th century, another famous bearer was Richard Wyan, an English merchant who played a significant role in the development of trade between England and the Baltic states, born in 1610 and passed in 1678.

By the 18th century, the name Wyan spread to the American colonies. One significant figure during this period was John Wyan, born in 1745, who later became a notable farmer and local militia member in Massachusetts.

In more recent centuries, the Wyan surname continued to appear. Samuel Wyan, a prominent industrialist in the 19th-century steel industry in England, was born in 1823 and died in 1890.

The legacy of the Wyan surname is also reflected in place names. Wyanfields in Yorkshire is an example of a hamlet that may have been named after families bearing this surname, pointing to their long-standing presence and influence in the region.

The surname Wyan, with its rich Anglo-Saxon heritage, continues to be a reminder of its historical significance from the medieval period to modern times, showcasing its evolutionary journey through various regions and notable individuals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wyan

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

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

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

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