2000
#2,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,063
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.10
Uncommon Last name
Wyman
Derived from the Anglo-Saxon given name Wigmund, composed of the elements wig "war" and mund "protection."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,261 Americans carry the last name Wyman. That puts it at #3,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,955 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wyman 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 Wyman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,955
Census rank
#3,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,692 bearers of the surname Wyman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wyman
The surname WYMAN is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 11th century in the county of Wiltshire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "wic" meaning a dwelling or farm, and "mann" meaning a man or person. Therefore, WYMAN likely referred to a person who lived or worked on a farm or village.
During the Middle Ages, the name WYMAN appeared in various historical records and documents. One notable mention was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Wicmannus" in the county of Somerset. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, the WYMAN name was documented in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it was recorded as "Wyman" and "Wyeman". These records provide some of the earliest known written instances of the surname in its more modern form.
Throughout history, several notable individuals bore the WYMAN surname. One of the earliest was John Wyman (c. 1585-1653), an English settler who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 and became a respected figure in the community of Woburn.
Another prominent WYMAN was Sir Robert Wyman (1570-1636), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King James I in 1616.
In the literary world, Jeffries Wyman (1814-1874) was an American naturalist and anatomist who made significant contributions to the field of comparative anatomy. He served as the curator of the Lowell Institute in Boston and was a professor at Harvard University.
Silas Wyman (1768-1842) was an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Ohio. He fought in several battles and later became a prominent figure in the development of the state's Western Reserve region.
Finally, Walter Wyman (1848-1911) was a British architect and designer who is best known for his work on the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden.
While the WYMAN surname has deep historical roots and has been borne by notable individuals throughout the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the humble beginnings of a person associated with a farming community in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wyman
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wyman 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 Wyman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 9,381
- Two or more races3.9% · 413
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 400
- Black or African American3.1% · 331
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 68
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wyman
Wyman 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
#3,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,051
-12 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 3.75
Rank movement Down 268 places
2020
#3,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,692
-359 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,997 | 11,063 | 4.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,265 | 11,051 | 3.75 | -12 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 268 places |
| 2020 | #3,300 | 10,692 | 3.58 | -359 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 35 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 Wyman 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 | #3,265 | #3,300 | -1.1% |
| Count | 11,051 | 10,692 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.75 | 3.58 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wyman bearers went from 11,051 to 10,692 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,265 to #3,300.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wyman
FAQ
Wyman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wyman?
Name Census estimates that about 12,261 living Americans carry the surname Wyman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,955 residents.
How common is Wyman?
Wyman ranks #3,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,692 people with the surname Wyman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,261), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Wyman.
Has Wyman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wyman went from 11,051 recorded bearers to 10,692. That is a decrease of 359 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,265 to #3,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Wyman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Wyman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (9,381 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wyman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Wyman (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 Wyman mean?
Derived from the Anglo-Saxon given name Wigmund, composed of the elements wig "war" and mund "protection." 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 Wyman (3.58 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 surname Wyman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.