2000
#445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 66,738
First available Census row
Per 100,000 24.74
Uncommon Last name
Wise
An English occupational surname referring to a person known for their wisdom, knowledge, or sound judgment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 75,221 Americans carry the last name Wise. That puts it at #499 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 21.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,557 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wise 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 Wise with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
75K
1 in 4,557
Census rank
#499
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
66K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 65,596 bearers of the surname Wise in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 21.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 499th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wise, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wise
The surname Wise originated from the German personal name Wise, derived from the Middle High German "wis" meaning "wise" or "prudent". The name likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a nickname for someone considered exceptionally wise or learned.
The earliest known record of the surname Wise dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wisa". This Old English form of the name suggests that it may have been in use even earlier, before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
In the 13th century, the surname began appearing in various records across England, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "Wys" and "Wyse". During this period, the name was also found in Scotland, where it was spelled "Wys" or "Wyse".
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Wise, a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Michael Wise, a 14th-century English philosopher and theologian who studied at the University of Oxford.
In the 16th century, the surname Wise was found in various places across England, including the village of Wyse in Gloucestershire, which likely derived its name from the surname. During this time, the name was also found in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where it was spelled "Weise" or "Wijse".
One of the most famous bearers of the name was John Wise, an influential 17th-century American Puritan minister and writer who played a significant role in the establishment of American democracy. He was born in 1652 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and died in 1725.
Another notable figure was Thomas Wise, an English bibliographer and book collector who lived from 1859 to 1937. He was known for his extensive collection of rare books and manuscripts, as well as his contributions to the study of English literature.
In the 19th century, the surname Wise gained prominence in the United States with individuals such as Henry A. Wise, a politician and governor of Virginia who lived from 1806 to 1876. Isaac M. Wise, born in 1819 and died in 1900, was a prominent American rabbi and leader of the Reform Judaism movement.
Throughout history, the surname Wise has been associated with individuals known for their wisdom, intellect, and contributions to various fields, reflecting the meaning of the name itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wise
Among Census respondents with the surname Wise, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wise 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 Wise surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 49,782
- Black or African American15.2% · 9,951
- Two or more races4.1% · 2,671
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 2,272
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 519
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 401
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wise
Wise 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
#485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 68,649
+1,911 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 23.27
Rank movement Down 40 places
2020
#499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 65,596
-3,053 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 21.95
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #445 | 66,738 | 24.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #485 | 68,649 | 23.27 | +1,911 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 40 places |
| 2020 | #499 | 65,596 | 21.95 | -3,053 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 14 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 Wise 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 | #485 | #499 | -2.9% |
| Count | 68,649 | 65,596 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 23.27 | 21.95 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wise bearers went from 68,649 to 65,596 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #485 to #499.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wise
FAQ
Wise surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wise?
Name Census estimates that about 75,221 living Americans carry the surname Wise. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,557 residents.
How common is Wise?
Wise ranks #499 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 21.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 22 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 65,596 people with the surname Wise. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (75,221), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 21.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 21.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 22 of them to have the surname Wise.
Has Wise become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wise went from 68,649 recorded bearers to 65,596. That is a decrease of 3,053 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #485 to #499.
What does the Census say about the background of Wise?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wise, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Wise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (49,782 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wise appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Black (15.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Wise (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 Wise mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person known for their wisdom, knowledge, or sound judgment. 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 Wise (21.95 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 Wise?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.