Explore the Family Name Wagg
The meaning of Wagg
English: 1. apparently a nickname from the Middle English verb waggen (Old English wagian) ‘to shake, tremble, stagger, waver, or vacillate’ or ‘to move (something) to and fro, up and down (etc.)’. The name may be an elliptical form of longer nicknames involving this verb; see Waple and Wagstaff. Alternatively, Wagge may have been a nickname with the sense ‘mischievous boy’, which is not recorded until the mid-16th century, but was probably in colloquial use considerably earlier. 2. topographic name from Middle English wagge ‘marsh, quaking bog’, a word found only in placenames, related to the verb waggen ‘to move or shake’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wagg in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Wagg has slightly declined between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Wagg ranked as the 43,157th most popular surname, but fell to the 43,732nd position in 2010, indicating a decrease of 1.33%. However, the count of individuals carrying this surname increased by 4.45% during the same period, from 472 in 2000 to 493 in 2010. The proportion of people named Wagg per 100,000 population remained steady at 0.17.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #43,157 | #43,732 | -1.33% |
| Count | 472 | 493 | 4.45% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wagg
Discussing the ethnic identity linked with the surname Wagg, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals a majority association with White ethnicity, although there has been a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010 (96.61% to 94.93%). Additionally, the percentage of individuals associating the Wagg surname with two or more races saw an increase of 38.22%, going up from 1.91% to 2.64%. Hispanic associations also made an appearance in 2010, with 1.01% of bearers identifying as such. There were no recorded associations with Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities for either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.61% | 94.93% | -1.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.91% | 2.64% | 38.22% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.01% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |