Explore the Family Name Wanton
The meaning of Wanton
English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English wanton ‘unruly, thoughtless, or promiscuous’. This surname was quite frequent in Britain until the 18th century, but in the 19th it underwent a decline in numbers, presumably due to people changing their name because of the negative connotations of the vocabulary word, which had become salient.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wanton in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Wanton ranked 107,038 in popularity in the year 2000, and later dropped slightly to a rank of 110,286 in 2010. This indicates a marginal decline in its popularity by approximately 3.03%. In terms of frequency, the count of individuals with the surname Wanton increased from 154 in 2000 to 160 in 2010, a growth of 3.9%. However, when considered as a proportion per 100k people, there has been a decrease of about 16.67% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #107,038 | #110,286 | -3.03% |
| Count | 154 | 160 | 3.9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.06 | 0.05 | -16.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wanton
The ethnicity breakdown of the surname Wanton, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, reveals that it is most commonly identified among the Black community, registering a slight increase from 74.03% in 2000 to 75.00% in 2010. The representation of this surname within the Hispanic community also saw an upward trend, increasing by about 10.7% over the 10 years. On the other hand, the percentage of individuals identifying as White with the surname Wanton decreased significantly, from 11.69% in 2000 to 6.25% in 2010, reflecting a drop of 46.54%. The presence of the surname Wanton among those identifying with two or more races was reported for the first time in 2010 at 3.75%. No counts were registered for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities during both census periods.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 74.03% | 75% | 1.31% |
| Hispanic | 12.99% | 14.38% | 10.7% |
| White | 11.69% | 6.25% | -46.54% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 3.75% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |