2000
#22,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,064
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Woolston
A locational surname derived from places called "Woolston" in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,225 Americans carry the last name Woolston. That puts it at #24,425 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 279,799 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woolston 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 Woolston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 279,799
Census rank
#24,425
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,068 bearers of the surname Woolston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24425th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolston, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woolston
The surname Woolston has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. This surname is primarily locational, meaning it derives from a specific place or geographic feature. Woolston refers to various locations in England, notably in Cheshire and Somerset. The name itself is believed to originate from the Old English words wulf (wolf) and tun (settlement or enclosure), essentially meaning "settlement of wolves" or "wolf farm."
One of the oldest known references to the name Woolston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book records a location named "Woluestone" in Cheshire, which is likely one of the earliest appearances of the name. The spelling of surnames during this period often varied, leading to multiple forms such as Wolviston, Wolston, and Woolstan.
The Woolston name appears in various historical records over the centuries. One early example is Richard de Woolston, born around 1232, who held lands in Cheshire and is noted in land charters from the mid-13th century. The persistence of the Woolston surname in these records indicates the prominence of this family in local history.
Another notable bearer of the Woolston surname was Sir John Woolston, a knight who lived during the reign of King Edward II (1307-1327). He is mentioned in several legal documents from the early 14th century. His contributions to local governance and military campaigns would have cemented the Woolston name in the annals of history.
In the 16th century, Jane Woolston (1540-1608) emerges in historical documents as a prominent landowner in Somerset. Her wills and legal transactions highlight the continued presence and legacy of the Woolston family in the region. Her estate included substantial holdings, which she managed with notable acumen for a woman of her time.
The Woolston name also appears in the parish records of the 17th and 18th centuries. For instance, Thomas Woolston (1666-1733) was an English deist and one of the early critics of Christian orthodoxy. He wrote extensively on religious topics and was known for his controversial views. His works and the subsequent trial for blasphemy brought the surname into the intellectual and religious debates of the time.
Historical records from the 18th century also reference Reverend William Woolston, born in 1710, who served as a clergyman in Derbyshire. His sermons and writings indicate a man deeply involved in the religious and social challenges of his parishioners. His contributions to his community and the church were well-documented in various ecclesiastical records.
Woolston as a surname thus encapsulates a rich history ranging from landownership, knighthood, intellectual pursuits, and religious life, embedded deeply in the social history of England through various centuries. From medieval land charters to parish records, the Woolston name stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woolston
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolston, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Woolston 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 Woolston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 986
- Two or more races3.7% · 40
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woolston
Woolston 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
#23,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,107
+43 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 529 places
2020
#24,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,068
-39 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 1,341 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,555 | 1,064 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,084 | 1,107 | 0.38 | +43 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 529 places |
| 2020 | #24,425 | 1,068 | 0.36 | -39 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 1,341 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 Woolston 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 | #23,084 | #24,425 | -5.8% |
| Count | 1,107 | 1,068 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.36 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woolston bearers went from 1,107 to 1,068 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 1,341 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,084 to #24,425.
FAQ
Woolston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woolston?
Name Census estimates that about 1,225 living Americans carry the surname Woolston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 279,799 residents.
How common is Woolston?
Woolston ranks #24,425 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,068 people with the surname Woolston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Woolston.
Has Woolston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woolston went from 1,107 recorded bearers to 1,068. That is a decrease of 39 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #23,084 to #24,425.
What does the Census say about the background of Woolston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolston, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Woolston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (986 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woolston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Woolston (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 Woolston mean?
A locational surname derived from places called "Woolston" in England. 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 Woolston (0.36 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 are called Woolston?
Want to know how common the surname Woolston is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.