Explore the Family Name Wheeles
The meaning of Wheeles
English: perhaps a variant of Wheeless, or of Wheels, from Old English hwēol ‘wheel’, and so a topographic name for someone who lived near a waterwheel, or a metonymic occupational name for someone in charge of one.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wheeles in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Wheeles has seen a moderate increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Wheeles was ranked 59,916th most popular surname and had 315 recorded occurrences. By 2010, it rose to the 54,418th position with a count of 379, marking an impressive 20.32% increase in frequency and a rise of 9.18% in rank. The proportion of individuals with the Wheeles surname per 100,000 people also increased by 8.33% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #59,916 | #54,418 | 9.18% |
| Count | 315 | 379 | 20.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.13 | 8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wheeles
Discussing ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of individuals with the Wheeles surname identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, though there was a slight decrease from 94.29% to 90.77%. While no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black in either census year, there was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.59% to 2.37%, and those identifying with two or more races, from 2.54% to 3.17%. Interestingly, in 2010, 1.85% of individuals with the Wheeles surname identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native, despite no such identifications in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.29% | 90.77% | -3.73% |
| Two or More Races | 2.54% | 3.17% | 24.8% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 2.37% | 49.06% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 1.85% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |