Explore the Family Name Wardlaw
The meaning of Wardlaw
Scottish: probably a habitational name from Wardlaw, in Kirkhill, Inverness, which is recorded as Wardelaue in 1202, or perhaps Wardlaw in Ayrs. However, the possibility that the Scottish family is related to the Wardlow family of Wardlow (Derbys) cannot be ruled out. The placenames derive from Old English weard ‘watch’ + hlāw ‘mound, hill’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wardlaw in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Wardlaw saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Wardlaw ranked 9491st in popularity among all US surnames and this rank slipped to 9720th by 2010, marking a 2.41% drop. However, it's worth noting that the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 6.24%, growing from 3141 in 2000 to 3337 in 2010. Despite the increase in count, the proportion per 100k people decreased slightly from 1.16 to 1.13.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,491 | #9,720 | -2.41% |
| Count | 3,141 | 3,337 | 6.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.16 | 1.13 | -2.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wardlaw
Looking into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Wardlaw, a significant portion of individuals identified as White (59.09%) and Black (35.12%) in 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of those identifying as White experienced a decrease of 6.4% from 2000. On the other hand, those identifying as Black saw an increase of 6.26%. Additionally, there's been a notable increase in individuals identifying with two or more races and Hispanic ethnicity, rising by 49.19% and 35.85% respectively. Interestingly, small proportions of individuals started identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010, which wasn't the case in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.13% | 59.09% | -6.4% |
| Black | 33.05% | 35.12% | 6.26% |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 2.76% | 49.19% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 2.16% | 35.85% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.45% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.42% | 0% |