2000
#3,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.08
Uncommon Last name
Wellman
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a spring, stream, or well.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,151 Americans carry the last name Wellman. That puts it at #3,330 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,208 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wellman 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 Wellman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,208
Census rank
#3,330
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,596 bearers of the surname Wellman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3330th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wellman
The surname Wellman is of English origin, emerging in the late medieval period. It is derived from the occupational term "wellman," referring to a person responsible for maintaining and operating a well or water supply for a community or estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John le Welleman. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the 14th century, likely evolving from the earlier spelling "Welleman."
In the 15th century, the Wellman surname appeared in various records across different regions of England. For example, the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1443 mention a Thomas Welman, while the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1478 record a John Welman.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Wellman. However, it does mention several places with names containing the root "well," such as Wellebec in Lincolnshire and Wellesberie in Somerset, which may have influenced the development of the surname in those areas.
Notable historical figures bearing the Wellman surname include:
1. William Wellman (1896-1975), an American film director known for classics such as "The Public Enemy" and "A Star Is Born."
2. Walter Wellman (1858-1934), an American explorer who attempted to reach the North Pole by airship in 1907 and 1909.
3. Paul Wellman (1898-1966), an American author and journalist best known for his biographies of historical figures like Kit Carson and Wyatt Earp.
4. Reverend Walter C. Wellman (1859-1937), an American minister and educator who served as the president of Ohio Wesleyan University from 1904 to 1916.
5. Manly Wellman (1859-1946), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Wellman Institute of Industrial Research in 1925.
Over time, the Wellman surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in England. For example, the village of Wellmanor in Hertfordshire and the hamlet of Wellman's Wood in Kent may have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Wellman surname in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wellman
Among Census respondents with the surname Wellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wellman 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 Wellman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 9,456
- Two or more races3.4% · 359
- Black or African American3.1% · 331
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 318
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wellman
Wellman 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
#3,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,260
+267 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 3.82
Rank movement Down 184 places
2020
#3,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,596
-664 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.55
Rank movement Down 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,024 | 10,993 | 4.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,208 | 11,260 | 3.82 | +267 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 184 places |
| 2020 | #3,330 | 10,596 | 3.55 | -664 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 122 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 Wellman 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 | #3,208 | #3,330 | -3.8% |
| Count | 11,260 | 10,596 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.82 | 3.55 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wellman bearers went from 11,260 to 10,596 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,208 to #3,330.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wellman
FAQ
Wellman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wellman?
Name Census estimates that about 12,151 living Americans carry the surname Wellman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,208 residents.
How common is Wellman?
Wellman ranks #3,330 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.55 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 10,596 people with the surname Wellman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,151), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.55 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 Wellman.
Has Wellman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wellman went from 11,260 recorded bearers to 10,596. That is a decrease of 664 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,208 to #3,330.
What does the Census say about the background of Wellman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Wellman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (9,456 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wellman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Black (3.1%). 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 Wellman (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 Wellman mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a spring, stream, or well. 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 Wellman (3.55 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 Americans have the surname Wellman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.