2000
#14,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,883
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Waxman
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of wax or wax candles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,402 Americans carry the last name Waxman. That puts it at #13,814 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waxman 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 Waxman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,695
Census rank
#13,814
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,095 bearers of the surname Waxman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13814th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waxman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waxman
The surname Waxman originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "wachs," which means wax, and the suffix "-man," indicating a person who worked with wax or was involved in the wax trade. The name was likely occupational in origin, referring to individuals who produced or sold wax products, such as candles or sealing wax.
In the early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where the wax industry was prevalent. Historical records show variations in spelling, including Wachsmann, Wachsman, and Waxmann, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
One of the earliest notable references to the name can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Waxman is mentioned as a candle maker in 1587. Another early record dates back to 1612, when a Johann Waxman is listed as a resident of Leipzig, a prominent trade center for wax and other goods.
As the name spread across Europe, it took on different forms and spellings. In England, for instance, the name appeared as Waxman and Waxeman, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of Richard Waxman, born in 1632 in Oxfordshire.
Several individuals with the surname Waxman have achieved notable status throughout history. One prominent figure was Jacob Waxman (1794-1868), a German-born rabbi and scholar who served as the chief rabbi of Altona, now part of Hamburg, Germany. Another was Samuel Waxman (1828-1890), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Waxman Cigar Company in New York City.
In the realm of literature, Meyer Waxman (1892-1983) was a prominent Yiddish writer and journalist who published numerous works, including the novel "Der Yeliner Komediant" (The Comedian of Yeline). The artist Jonathan Waxman (1865-1942), born in Russia, gained recognition for his paintings and illustrations in the early 20th century.
More recently, Henry Waxman (born 1939) served as a influential member of the United States House of Representatives for California's 33rd congressional district from 1975 to 2015, championing various health and environmental causes during his tenure.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waxman
Among Census respondents with the surname Waxman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Waxman 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 Waxman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 1,969
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 62
- Two or more races1.9% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waxman
Waxman 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
#14,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,078
+195 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 132 places
2020
#13,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,095
+17 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,514 | 1,883 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,382 | 2,078 | 0.70 | +195 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 132 places |
| 2020 | #13,814 | 2,095 | 0.70 | +17 bearers (+0.8%) | Up 568 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 Waxman 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 | #14,382 | #13,814 | 3.9% |
| Count | 2,078 | 2,095 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.70 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waxman bearers went from 2,078 to 2,095 (+0.8% change). The surname moved up 568 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,382 to #13,814.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Waxman
FAQ
Waxman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waxman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,402 living Americans carry the surname Waxman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,695 residents.
How common is Waxman?
Waxman ranks #13,814 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,095 people with the surname Waxman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,402), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Waxman.
Has Waxman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waxman went from 2,078 recorded bearers to 2,095. That is an increase of 17 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,382 to #13,814.
What does the Census say about the background of Waxman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waxman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Waxman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (1,969 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waxman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Waxman (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 Waxman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of wax or wax candles. 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 Waxman (0.70 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 share the surname Waxman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.