Explore the Family Name Wass
The meaning of Wass
1. English (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Wace (ancient Germanic Waz(z)o), a pet form of any of various ancient Germanic personal names beginning with Wad- (compare Wade 1). The name Wace was common among the Normans, alongside the Parisian French variant Gace, and was latinized as Wazo (nominative), Wazonis (genitive). 2. English (of Norman origin): occasionally, perhaps a variant of Vause with vocalizing of initial V-. 3. German: nickname from Middle High German was(se) ‘sharp, cutting’. 4. German: metonymic occupational name for a seller of wax, from Middle Low German was ‘wax’ (see Wax). 5. Swedish: soldier’s name from vass ‘sharp, cutting’. 6. Swedish: ornamental or topographic name from a variant of vass ‘reed, marsh’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wass in the United States?
The Wass surname ranked 15,110 in popularity as per the 2000 data from the Decennial U.S. Census. However, by 2010, it dropped to the 16,707th spot, marking a decrease of about 10.57%. In terms of count, the number of people with the Wass surname also decreased from 1,791 in 2000 to 1,713 in 2010, a dip of approximately 4.36%. Accordingly, the proportion of people named Wass for every 100,000 individuals fell by 12.12%, from 0.66 in 2000 to 0.58 a decade later.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,110 | #16,707 | -10.57% |
| Count | 1,791 | 1,713 | -4.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.66 | 0.58 | -12.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wass
Looking at the ethnicity breakdown provided in the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals bearing the Wass surname identified as White, making up 94.86% in 2000 and 93.05% in 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders and Black individuals both saw decreases over the decade, dropping by 16.98% and 17.16% respectively. There was an increase in the Hispanic population from 1.62% in 2000 to 2.86% in 2010, a substantial rise of 76.54%. Notably, in 2010, there were recorded percentages of individuals identifying with two or more races (1.52%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities (0.58%), categories that were not represented in the 2000 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.86% | 93.05% | -1.91% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 2.86% | 76.54% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.52% | 0% |
| Black | 1.34% | 1.11% | -17.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.06% | 0.88% | -16.98% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.58% | 0% |