2000
#16,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,558
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Wyland
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "winding or twisting land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,629 Americans carry the last name Wyland. That puts it at #19,117 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 210,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wyland 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
1.6K
1 in 210,408
Census rank
#19,117
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,421 bearers of the surname Wyland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19117th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyland, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wyland
The surname Wyland has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "wīġ," meaning battle, and "land," meaning land or territory. This suggests that the name Wyland could have originally described someone who possessed or was associated with land meant for martial purposes or perhaps a warrior’s territory.
One of the earliest references to a name similar to Wyland can be found in various historical records dating back to the 12th century. In particular, a notable mention includes a Walter de Wyland, who appeared in a charter in 1185 during the reign of King Henry II. This documentation supports the theory of the name's early establishment in England.
Wyland has also been recorded in different spellings over time, including Wylond and Wiland, demonstrating the fluidity of medieval English orthography. The Domesday Book, a great survey of England completed in 1086, does not contain the name Wyland, but it does reflect the presence of compound names indicating land ownership and military association that could have evolved into such surnames.
Among notable historical figures, we find Sir Thomas Wyland, born around 1350, who served as a knight and was known for his service under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Another prominent figure is John Wyland, an early 15th-century landowner in Suffolk, whose estate was documented in manorial rolls indicative of the era’s detailed record-keeping practices.
The name Wyland continued to be present in various records, including parish registers and wills. For example, a Thomas Wyland is noted in a 1567 record as a significant farmer in Kent, contributing to the agrarian economy of the time. Similarly, Eleanor Wyland, recorded in 1618, was a notable beneficiary in a will that highlighted her family's moderately affluent status in Yorkshire.
Another individual of historical significance is Reverend William Wyland, born in 1692 and active until his death in 1757, who was a well-respected clergyman in the parish of St. Mary's in Hertfordshire. His sermons and ecclesiastical duties have been noted in the parish archives, reflecting the family's continued prominence.
The variations in spelling and the appearance of the surname Wyland in different geographic regions of England suggest a broad but sometimes unrecorded influence. Furthermore, the association of individuals with the surname in historical documents highlights their engagement in various aspects of medieval and pre-modern English society. This surname, steeped in history, carries with it the legacy of generations tied to England's rich medieval past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wyland
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyland, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wyland 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 Wyland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,314
- Two or more races3.2% · 46
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 9
- Black or African American0.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wyland
Wyland 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
#18,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,498
-60 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 1,608 places
2020
#19,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,421
-77 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Down 650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,859 | 1,558 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,467 | 1,498 | 0.51 | -60 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 1,608 places |
| 2020 | #19,117 | 1,421 | 0.48 | -77 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 650 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 Wyland 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 | #18,467 | #19,117 | -3.5% |
| Count | 1,498 | 1,421 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.48 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wyland bearers went from 1,498 to 1,421 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 650 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,467 to #19,117.
FAQ
Wyland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wyland?
Name Census estimates that about 1,629 living Americans carry the surname Wyland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 210,408 residents.
How common is Wyland?
Wyland ranks #19,117 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 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 1,421 people with the surname Wyland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,629), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 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 Wyland.
Has Wyland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wyland went from 1,498 recorded bearers to 1,421. That is a decrease of 77 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,467 to #19,117.
What does the Census say about the background of Wyland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyland, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Wyland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,314 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wyland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Wyland (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 Wyland mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "winding or twisting land." 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 Wyland (0.48 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 Wyland?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Wyland on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.