2000
#1,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.40
Uncommon Last name
Wynn
A Welsh surname derived from the word "wyn," meaning "fair" or "blessed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,609 Americans carry the last name Wynn. That puts it at #1,215 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,511 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wynn 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 Wynn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,511
Census rank
#1,215
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
28K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,437 bearers of the surname Wynn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1215th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Black (38.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wynn
The surname Wynn is of Welsh origin, derived from the Old Welsh personal name "Gwynn" or "Gwyn," meaning "fair" or "white." This name was initially used as a descriptive nickname, likely referring to someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Wynn can be traced back to the 13th century in Wales. Historical records from that period mention individuals bearing the name, such as Griffith Gwyn, a landowner in Cardiganshire in 1292.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Wyn, Wynne, and Wynn. One notable figure from this time was Sir John Wynne (c. 1350-1416), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of the Roses.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Wynn family rose to prominence in North Wales, particularly in the counties of Denbighshire and Caernarvonshire. Sir John Wynn (1553-1627), a Welsh antiquarian and historian, was a member of this influential family and authored several works, including the "History of the Gwydir Family."
Another distinguished figure was Sir Richard Wynn (1588-1649), a Welsh baronet and politician who served as a member of parliament for Caernarvonshire during the reign of King Charles I.
In the 18th century, the Wynn family continued to play a significant role in Welsh society. Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn (1692-1749), a Welsh landowner and politician, was a prominent member of the family and served as a member of parliament for Denbighshire.
The name Wynn has also been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Gwynnedd (derived from the Old Welsh "Gwynedd"), a historic region in northwest Wales, and Wynne Hall, a 17th-century country house in Denbighshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Wynn, including:
1. Sir Griffith Wynn (1514-1580), a Welsh landowner and member of parliament for Caernarvonshire.
2. Thomas Wynn (1767-1811), a Welsh Anglican priest and author.
3. Robert Wynn (1772-1843), a Welsh landowner and member of parliament for Denbighshire.
4. Thomas Wynn (1675-1718), a Welsh politician and member of parliament for Denbighshire.
5. Sir Richard Wynn (1588-1649), a Welsh baronet and politician mentioned earlier.
The surname Wynn has a rich history deeply rooted in Welsh culture and has been carried by influential figures, landowners, and politicians throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wynn
Among Census respondents with the surname Wynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Black (38.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Wynn 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 Wynn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.2% · 14,831
- Black or African American38.0% · 10,793
- Two or more races4.8% · 1,365
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 764
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 426
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 258
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wynn
Wynn 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
#1,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,417
+1,369 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 9.97
Rank movement Down 61 places
2020
#1,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,437
-980 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 9.51
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,142 | 28,048 | 10.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,203 | 29,417 | 9.97 | +1,369 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 61 places |
| 2020 | #1,215 | 28,437 | 9.51 | -980 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 12 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 Wynn 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 | #1,203 | #1,215 | -1.0% |
| Count | 29,417 | 28,437 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 9.97 | 9.51 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wynn bearers went from 29,417 to 28,437 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,203 to #1,215.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wynn
FAQ
Wynn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wynn?
Name Census estimates that about 32,609 living Americans carry the surname Wynn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,511 residents.
How common is Wynn?
Wynn ranks #1,215 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,437 people with the surname Wynn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,609), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Wynn.
Has Wynn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wynn went from 29,417 recorded bearers to 28,437. That is a decrease of 980 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,203 to #1,215.
What does the Census say about the background of Wynn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Black (38.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Wynn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (14,831 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wynn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.2%), Black (38.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Wynn (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 Wynn mean?
A Welsh surname derived from the word "wyn," meaning "fair" or "blessed." 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 Wynn (9.51 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 Wynn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.