2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wydro
A Polish surname derived from "wydra" meaning otter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Wydro. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wydro 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Wydro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wydro, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wydro
The surname Wydro has its origins in Poland, where surnames often derive from a variety of sources, including occupations, personal characteristics, places, and sometimes even animals or plants. The name Wydro likely originated from a regional term or perhaps a local dialect that has since evolved or fallen out of common use.
Dating back to the medieval period, Polish surnames were first recorded in Latinized forms in various legal documents and church records. Wydro may derive from an old Polish or Slavic word, with similarities to terms related to water bodies, wetlands, or specific characteristics of the land, given the suffix -dro, which could be a diminutive or derivative form of a regional word.
There is evidence to suggest that the surname Wydro appeared in historical records in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the parish registers of Kraków in the early 1600s, where a certain Jan Wydro was documented as a landowner. Variations of the name were also recorded in different parts of Poland, reflecting the orthographic changes and linguistic evolution of the time.
In the 18th century, Józef Wydro was a notable figure in the town of Wadowice, where he was recorded as a merchant in town charters. The Wydro family continued to be prominent in Wadowice for several generations, contributing to local businesses and community affairs. By the early 19th century, records show that the name had spread to other regions, including Galicia and Silesia.
Another significant historical figure with the surname was Katarzyna Wydro, born in 1823 in the village of Tuchów. Katarzyna became known for her involvement in local social movements, particularly those advocating for women's rights and educational reforms in rural Poland. Her efforts were documented in various contemporary publications of the mid-19th century.
In the latter half of the 19th century, Antoni Wydro emerged as an influential individual in the field of agriculture. Born in 1845 near Przemyśl, Antoni pioneered innovative farming techniques that significantly improved crop yields in the region. His contributions were recognized by agricultural societies, and he was awarded several honors posthumously.
By the early 20th century, Janina Wydro gained fame as a poet and writer in the cultural circles of Warsaw. Born in 1890, her works often explored themes of Polish identity and national pride. Her collections of poetry were widely read and contributed to the cultural renaissance in Poland during the interwar period.
Tracing the lineage of the surname Wydro reveals its deep roots in Polish history and its evolution over centuries. While the exact etymology may remain somewhat obscure, the documented presence of individuals with the surname in various regions and historical contexts underscores its lasting significance in Polish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wydro
Among Census respondents with the surname Wydro, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wydro 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 Wydro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 97
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wydro
Wydro 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+20 bearers (+19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,418 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-25 bearers (-20.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+19.2%) | Up 10,418 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -25 bearers (-20.2%) | Down 20,412 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 Wydro 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 | #135,593 | #156,005 | -15.1% |
| Count | 124 | 99 | -20.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wydro bearers went from 124 to 99 (-20.2% change). The surname moved down 20,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #156,005.
FAQ
Wydro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wydro?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Wydro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Wydro?
Wydro ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Wydro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wydro.
Has Wydro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wydro went from 124 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 25 (-20.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Wydro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wydro, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wydro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wydro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Wydro (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 Wydro mean?
A Polish surname derived from "wydra" meaning otter. 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 Wydro (0.03 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 Wydro?
See how many Americans have the surname Wydro on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.