Explore the Family Name Wharff
The meaning of Wharff
English (Lincolnshire): habitational name from Wharfe in Austwick (Yorkshire). The placename derives from Old Norse hvarf or hverfi ‘bend, nook, corner’. Occasionally the surname may be a topographic name or an occupational name from Middle English w(h)arf ‘wharf, quay, landing-place’, probably denoting someone who either live by a wharf or someone who worked at one.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wharff in the United States?
The popularity of the surname Wharff, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has seen a minor decline in ranking between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 50,903, however, by 2010 it fell slightly to 51,281, a change of -0.74. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people with the Wharff surname increased by 5.45 percent during this decade, going from 385 to 406 individuals. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 remained stable at 0.14.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #50,903 | #51,281 | -0.74% |
| Count | 385 | 406 | 5.45% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wharff
Based on ethnic identity data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the Wharff surname is predominantly associated with White ethnicity. As of 2010, 90.89 percent of those with the Wharff surname identified as White, down slightly from 91.43 percent in 2000. During the same period, there was a noticeable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, rising from 3.64 percent to 4.93 percent. Those identifying as Black decreased from 3.90 percent to 3.45 percent. There were no reported instances of individuals with the Wharff surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.43% | 90.89% | -0.59% |
| Hispanic | 3.64% | 4.93% | 35.44% |
| Black | 3.9% | 3.45% | -11.54% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |