2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wych
A surname possibly derived from "wich" or "wyche" meaning a salt-pit or salt-works.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Wych. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wych 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wych with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Wych in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wych, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wych
The surname Wych finds its origin in England, dating back to at least the medieval period. It appears to be locational in nature, likely deriving from places named Wych or Witch in England. The word may have connections to the Old English "wic" which refers to a farm, settlement, or even a trading place, or it could also draw from "wice" meaning a wych-elm tree, denoting an area where such trees were abundant.
One of the earliest mentions of the name Wych appears in British records from the 12th century. There are references to individuals bearing this name in medieval charter documents, highlighting its use among local gentry and yeomanry. The name shows up in various forms such as Wich, Wytch, and Wyche, illustrating the fluidity of English spelling before standardization.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain the name explicitly but does refer to locations such as Droitwich (originally "Wich") and Nantwich, areas known for their salt production and possibly contributing to the surname. Records from the 13th and 14th centuries include mentions of estates and manors named Wych, solidifying its connection to specific locales.
One famous early bearer of the surname was Thomas Wych, an English politician born around 1325 who served as Member of Parliament for Worcester in the 14th century. Another notable individual was Sir Peter Wyche, an English ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 17th century, born circa 1593 and died in 1643. His diplomatic service illustrates the reach and influence of the Wych family during the Stuart period.
In the realm of literature, Richard Wych, better known as Richard de Wych or St. Richard of Chichester, born in 1197 and died in 1253, was an English saint and Bishop of Chichester. While his surname is often referred to as De Wych, indicating a toponymic derivation, it underscores the historical prestige associated with the name.
Another significant figure is Sir Cyril Wyche, born in 1632 and died in 1707, who was a prominent figure in the scientific community as a founding member of the Royal Society. His contributions to science and his political career as Chief Secretary for Ireland highlight the surname's association with intellectual and administrative prominence.
During the Elizabethan era, John Wyche, who was born around 1574 and died in 1632, was a notable merchant and director of the East India Company. His involvement in the booming trade with the East Indies signals the global reach and economic significance of individuals bearing the Wych name during that period.
Thus, the surname Wych has a rich historical narrative intertwined with the development of England’s social, political, and economic fabric. Its use by various influential figures across centuries illustrates the enduring legacy of the name from its medieval origins to significant roles in politics, science, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wych
Among Census respondents with the surname Wych, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Wych 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 Wych surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 96
- Black or African American11.8% · 14
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wych
Wych 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+4 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,935 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-14 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,539 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 4,935 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 14,539 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 Wych 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 | #128,249 | #142,788 | -11.3% |
| Count | 133 | 119 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wych bearers went from 133 to 119 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 14,539 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #142,788.
FAQ
Wych surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wych?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Wych. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Wych?
Wych ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Wych. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Wych.
Has Wych become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wych went from 133 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Wych?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wych, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Wych in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wych appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Black (11.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Wych (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 Wych mean?
A surname possibly derived from "wich" or "wyche" meaning a salt-pit or salt-works. 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 Wych (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 people have the last name Wych?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Wych on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.