Explore the Family Name De Wilde

The meaning of De Wilde

Dutch; Flemish (also Dewilde): from Middle Dutch wilt ‘wild, savage’ + the definite article de, used as a descriptive nickname for a man with an unruly temperament (but particularly as a term denoting aborigines of uncultivated countries), and also as a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or tavern bearing a sign with the image of a wild man or an aborigine, probably named In de Wilde Man (‘In the Wild Man’). This surname has also been chosen by Jews. Compare Wilde and Wildeman. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Camile, Camille, Gilles. Dutch Cornelis, Gerrit, Henk, Klaas.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name De Wilde in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname De Wilde has shown a slight decrease in popularity over the span of a decade. In 2000, it held rank 29,728 and by 2010 it fell slightly to rank 30,570, reflecting a change of -2.83%. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals with this surname actually increased from 747 in 2000 to 763 in 2010, a growth of 2.14%. However, the proportion per 100k people decreased by -7.14%, from 0.28 in 2000 to 0.26 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#29,728#30,570-2.83%
Count7477632.14%
Proportion per 100k0.280.26-7.14%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name De Wilde

Regarding De Wilde's ethnic identity distribution, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with this surname identify as White, with 93.44% in 2000 and 92.27% in 2010, experiencing a slight decrease of -1.25% over the decade. The second most common ethnicity identified is American Indian and Alaskan Native at 3.75% in 2000, decreasing slightly to 3.54% in 2010. Notably, the Hispanic identification saw the most significant increase, rising from 2.14% in 2000 to 2.62% in 2010 — a change of 22.43%. There was no recorded data for Asian/Pacific Islander or Black ethnic identities, and the category of Two or more races appeared in 2010 with a 1.44% representation.

20002010Change
White93.44%92.27%-1.25%
American Indian and Alaskan Native3.75%3.54%-5.6%
Hispanic2.14%2.62%22.43%
Two or More Races0%1.44%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%