2000
#8,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,786
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Wolverton
A locational surname derived from a place in Buckinghamshire, England, likely meaning "enclosure of wolves."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,092 Americans carry the last name Wolverton. That puts it at #8,821 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wolverton 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
4.1K
1 in 83,762
Census rank
#8,821
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,568 bearers of the surname Wolverton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8821st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolverton, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wolverton
The surname WOLVERTON originated in England, emerging during the late Anglo-Saxon period in the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the village of Wolverton, located in Buckinghamshire. The name is composed of two Old English elements: "wulf" meaning wolf, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting it was originally a place inhabited or frequented by wolves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Wlwardus de Wolurinton, indicating the surname's early form as Wolurinton. This entry provides evidence that the name was in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Wolverinton, Wolverinton, and Wolvreton, reflecting the evolution of the spelling over time. In 1273, a William de Wolverton is recorded as a landowner in Buckinghamshire, further cementing the surname's association with the region.
Notable individuals bearing the WOLVERTON surname include Sir Isaac Wolverton (1573-1648), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was John Wolverton (1592-1669), a Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious texts, including "The Christian's Guide to Eternal Life" (1638).
In the 18th century, Samuel Wolverton (1720-1793) was a renowned clockmaker from Buckinghamshire, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons. During the same period, Elizabeth Wolverton (1746-1819) gained recognition as a pioneering female botanist, contributing significant research on the flora of the English countryside.
The 19th century saw the rise of Sir Walter Wolverton (1811-1891), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He was knighted for his charitable works, which included establishing several schools and hospitals in his native Buckinghamshire.
While the surname WOLVERTON has its origins rooted in a specific English village, over the centuries, it has spread across the globe, carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from politics and religion to science and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wolverton
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolverton, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wolverton 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 Wolverton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 3,193
- Two or more races3.8% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 119
- Black or African American2.1% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wolverton
Wolverton 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
#8,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,711
-75 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 759 places
2020
#8,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,568
-143 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,069 | 3,786 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,828 | 3,711 | 1.26 | -75 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 759 places |
| 2020 | #8,821 | 3,568 | 1.19 | -143 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 7 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 Wolverton 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 | #8,828 | #8,821 | 0.1% |
| Count | 3,711 | 3,568 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.19 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wolverton bearers went from 3,711 to 3,568 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,828 to #8,821.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wolverton
FAQ
Wolverton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wolverton?
Name Census estimates that about 4,092 living Americans carry the surname Wolverton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,762 residents.
How common is Wolverton?
Wolverton ranks #8,821 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 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 3,568 people with the surname Wolverton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,092), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 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 Wolverton.
Has Wolverton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wolverton went from 3,711 recorded bearers to 3,568. That is a decrease of 143 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,828 to #8,821.
What does the Census say about the background of Wolverton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wolverton, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Wolverton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (3,193 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wolverton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Wolverton (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 Wolverton mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Buckinghamshire, England, likely meaning "enclosure of wolves." 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 Wolverton (1.19 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 Wolverton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.