Explore the Family Name Wenham

The meaning of Wenham

English (Kent and Sussex): habitational name from Great or Little Wenham (Suffolk), or Wenham in Rogate (Sussex). The Suffolk placename derives from an uncertain initial element (perhaps Old English wynne ‘pasture’ or wenn ‘tumor’, used to describe or name a hill) + Old English hām ‘village, homestead’. The Sussex placename may derive from an Old English personal name Wēna + Old English hām.

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

How common is the last name Wenham in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Wenham has seen an increase in popularity over a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 76,946th most popular and increased to 67,519th by 2010, a change of 12.25%. The count of individuals with this surname also grew from 232 to 292 in the same period, representing a rise of 25.86%. This boosted the proportion per 100k people from 0.09 to 0.1.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#76,946	#67,519	12.25%
Count	232	292	25.86%
Proportion per 100k	0.09	0.1	11.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wenham

In terms of ethnic identity, results from the Decennial U.S. Census indicate some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority identifying as White dropped slightly from 87.50% to 83.22%. There were also changes in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, which fell from 2.16% to zero. However, other groups saw growth. Those identifying as Black rose from 4.74% to 6.85%, and the Hispanic community grew from 3.88% to 5.82%. Additionally, a new category emerged in 2010, with 1.71% identifying as two or more races. There were no recorded individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	87.5%	83.22%	-4.89%
Black	4.74%	6.85%	44.51%
Hispanic	3.88%	5.82%	50%
Two or More Races	0%	1.71%	0%
Asian/Pacific Islander	2.16%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%