Wales Surname
Approximately 21,991 people bear this surname
Wales Surname Definition:
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Wales,' a parish ten miles from Sheffield, West Riding of York. A family of this name must have settled early on the Yorkshire border of North Lancashire. In the course of time they penetrated into Furness, and spelt their name Wales and Wailes (q.
Read More About This SurnameWales Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 6,937 | 1:52,250 | 6,292 |
| England | 4,357 | 1:12,788 | 1,885 |
| Tanzania | 2,418 | 1:21,895 | 2,720 |
| Australia | 2,275 | 1:11,866 | 1,737 |
| Canada | 1,180 | 1:31,225 | 4,069 |
| Philippines | 947 | 1:106,904 | 18,586 |
| Scotland | 935 | 1:5,726 | 932 |
| South Africa | 806 | 1:67,218 | 8,423 |
| Indonesia | 525 | 1:251,903 | 22,960 |
| New Zealand | 322 | 1:14,063 | 2,450 |
| Wales | 175 | 1:17,683 | 1,917 |
| France | 147 | 1:451,855 | 64,822 |
| Malawi | 131 | 1:130,680 | 14,293 |
| Northern Ireland | 103 | 1:17,913 | 2,284 |
| Papua New Guinea | 67 | 1:121,697 | 16,585 |
| Thailand | 62 | 1:1,139,328 | 167,850 |
| Bahrain | 59 | 1:22,858 | 4,582 |
| India | 45 | 1:17,045,897 | 267,282 |
| Israel | 43 | 1:199,015 | 19,367 |
| Venezuela | 31 | 1:974,325 | 14,902 |
| Kuwait | 29 | 1:131,058 | 14,967 |
| Bermuda | 29 | 1:2,251 | 365 |
| Germany | 28 | 1:2,875,195 | 137,699 |
| Russia | 27 | 1:5,337,891 | 231,865 |
| Malaysia | 24 | 1:1,228,926 | 53,021 |
| Dominican Republic | 23 | 1:453,606 | 14,824 |
| Ireland | 22 | 1:214,043 | 8,362 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 22 | 1:5,121 | 612 |
| Nigeria | 17 | 1:10,420,162 | 203,261 |
| Singapore | 17 | 1:323,983 | 13,856 |
| Spain | 14 | 1:3,339,431 | 67,428 |
| Zimbabwe | 14 | 1:1,102,731 | 66,551 |
| China | 12 | 1:113,943,464 | 5,994 |
| Brazil | 9 | 1:23,786,037 | 375,389 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 9 | 1:151,553 | 8,353 |
| Ghana | 9 | 1:3,002,299 | 11,581 |
| Liberia | 8 | 1:551,067 | 25,208 |
| Isle of Man | 7 | 1:12,260 | 2,387 |
| Honduras | 7 | 1:1,259,492 | 5,127 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 6 | 1:16,528 | 1,436 |
| Sweden | 5 | 1:1,969,351 | 134,077 |
| Norway | 5 | 1:1,028,457 | 61,363 |
| Italy | 5 | 1:12,231,338 | 126,430 |
| Swaziland | 4 | 1:324,550 | 996 |
| Belarus | 4 | 1:2,375,265 | 105,497 |
| Egypt | 4 | 1:22,983,938 | 62,368 |
| Azerbaijan | 4 | 1:2,412,280 | 25,948 |
| United Arab Emirates | 4 | 1:2,290,568 | 60,372 |
| Uganda | 4 | 1:9,759,820 | 144,676 |
| Bahamas | 3 | 1:130,584 | 1,472 |
| Denmark | 3 | 1:1,881,572 | 67,227 |
| Belgium | 3 | 1:3,832,215 | 117,288 |
| Kenya | 2 | 1:23,089,950 | 83,168 |
| Taiwan | 2 | 1:11,722,373 | 63,559 |
| Colombia | 2 | 1:23,887,036 | 32,612 |
| Bulgaria | 2 | 1:3,489,452 | 64,958 |
| Japan | 2 | 1:63,922,146 | 62,827 |
| Czechia | 2 | 1:5,316,734 | 169,646 |
| Ukraine | 1 | 1:45,522,696 | 503,646 |
| Tunisia | 1 | 1:610,626 | 30,336 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 1 | 1:110,375 | 6,934 |
| Argentina | 1 | 1:42,743,414 | 282,706 |
| Yemen | 1 | 1:26,425,294 | 55,147 |
| Tajikistan | 1 | 1:8,386,692 | 12,859 |
| Afghanistan | 1 | 1:32,153,183 | 60,828 |
| Switzerland | 1 | 1:8,212,915 | 156,297 |
| Cyprus | 1 | 1:884,876 | 13,055 |
| Chile | 1 | 1:17,616,474 | 93,597 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1:16,887,176 | 156,465 |
| Iraq | 1 | 1:35,021,654 | 31,813 |
| Hong Kong | 1 | 1:7,335,483 | 16,643 |
| Ivory Coast | 1 | 1:23,071,232 | 76,679 |
| Jordan | 1 | 1:8,842,437 | 26,010 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 1:5,637,083 | 32,436 |
| Haiti | 1 | 1:10,683,907 | 24,607 |
| Guernsey | 1 | 1:64,439 | 2,137 |
| Marshall Islands | 1 | 1:51,821 | 2,326 |
| Mexico | 1 | 1:124,126,205 | 103,776 |
| Moldova | 1 | 1:3,561,368 | 78,271 |
| Namibia | 1 | 1:2,409,401 | 19,676 |
| Sudan | 1 | 1:37,510,195 | 14,259 |
| Benin | 1 | 1:10,335,602 | 103,742 |
| Greece | 1 | 1:11,079,790 | 145,225 |
| Panama | 1 | 1:3,912,258 | 17,195 |
| Poland | 1 | 1:38,008,749 | 231,653 |
| Georgia | 1 | 1:3,745,545 | 47,852 |
| Samoa | 1 | 1:193,808 | 1,089 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 1:30,855,817 | 63,028 |
| Finland | 1 | 1:5,496,702 | 84,025 |
| Fiji | 1 | 1:894,391 | 4,568 |
| Cameroon | 1 | 1:20,769,068 | 227,406 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 74 | 1:59,863 | 4,718 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2,078 | 1:11,730 | 1,793 |
| Scotland | 292 | 1:12,819 | 1,514 |
| Wales | 50 | 1:31,368 | 1,723 |
| Isle of Man | 7 | 1:7,753 | 762 |
| Jersey | 2 | 1:25,941 | 3,069 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2,236 | 1:22,459 | 2,816 |
The alternate forms: Waleś (1) are calculated separately.
Wales (3,803) may also be a first name.
Wales Surname Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Wales,' a parish ten miles from Sheffield, West Riding of York. A family of this name must have settled early on the Yorkshire border of North Lancashire. In the course of time they penetrated into Furness, and spelt their name Wales and Wailes (q.v).
Cecilia de Wales, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.
William Wales, of Over Kellett, 1587: Lancashire Wills at Richmond.
John Wales, of Dalton-in-Furness, 1661: ibid.
From ME. walshe, Old English welisc, foreign, from Old English walk, foreigner. The spelling Walsh is due to confusion in the early forms between the noun and adjective. John Walshe was juror on an inquest held at Roxburgh, 1360 (Bain, IV, 50). John Walch, a tenant of the earl of Douglas in the barony of Kylbouho, 1376 (RHM., II, p. 16). Sir Robert Velche, a cleric, was vicar of Tynron, 1548 (Anderson), John Walcht, a witness, 1467 (Neubotle, p. 263), and Robert Velsche, burgess of Dumfries, 1567 (Edgar, p. 242). Velsch 16S6 Welche 1604.
(English) 1 belonging to Wales, either the country or the Yorkshire parish (Domesday Wales) [Old English Weálas, pl. of Wealh, a Welshman] Engle and Seaxe . . .
Weálas ofer cómon.—‘Song of Brunanburh’:A.-Sax. Chroti., A.D. 937.
Cecilia de Wales.—Yorks Poll-Tax, A.D. 1379.
2 Wale's (Son): v. Wale.
(English) One who came from Wales (the Welsh), the country, or from Wales, a village in Yorkshire.
1. From the country-like Ireland, Scotland, &c. 2. From a parish so called in co. York.
A native of Wales.
A native of Wales, a name given by the Anglo—Saxons to the Britons who originally came from Gaul, which the Saxons pronounced Wealas, Wales, Welsh, and Wallia. A principality of Great Britain, on the west of England, one hundred and twenty miles long, and eighty broad.
A Gaul, which the Germans pronounce with a "w," as Wallic for Gaulic. Wallis, Wallish, Walsh. The Welsh were originally from Gaul. (See Wales and Wallace.)
From Wales; a location name in Yorkshire in the Domesday Book, Walise.
Wales Demographics
Average Wales Salary in
United States
$44,624 USD
Per year
Average Salary in
United States
$43,149 USD
Per year
View the highest/lowest earning families in The United States
Wales Last Name Facts
Where Does The Last Name Wales Come From? nationality or country of origin
Wales (Arabic: ويلز, Oriya: ୱାେଲସ) is more frequently found in The United States than any other country/territory. It can occur as a variant: Waleś. For other possible spellings of this surname click here.
How Common Is The Last Name Wales? popularity and diffusion
This surname is the 24,554th most commonly held family name internationally. It is borne by around 1 in 331,388 people. Wales is mostly found in The Americas, where 35 percent of Wales reside; 35 percent reside in North America and 35 percent reside in Anglo-North America. Wales is also the 114,022nd most frequent first name in the world It is held by 3,803 people.
The last name is most numerous in The United States, where it is borne by 6,937 people, or 1 in 52,250. In The United States Wales is most common in: California, where 11 percent are found, Texas, where 6 percent are found and Alabama, where 6 percent are found. Besides The United States this last name is found in 90 countries. It also occurs in England, where 20 percent are found and Tanzania, where 11 percent are found.
Wales Family Population Trend historical fluctuation
The prevalency of Wales has changed over time. In The United States the share of the population with the last name grew 310 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 210 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it grew 320 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 350 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it decreased 70 percent between 1901 and 2014.
Wales Last Name Statistics demography
The religious devotion of those bearing the Wales last name is predominantly Anglican (55%) in Ireland and Catholic (50%) in Russia.
In The United States those holding the Wales surname are 5.85% more likely to be registered Republicans than The US average, with 52.62% registered with the political party.
The amount Wales earn in different countries varies greatly. In South Africa they earn 9.04% more than the national average, earning R 259,128 per year; in Colombia they earn 49.41% less than the national average, earning $11,485,100 COP per year; in United States they earn 3.42% more than the national average, earning $44,624 USD per year and in Canada they earn 3.27% more than the national average, earning $51,310 CAD per year.
Phonetically Similar Names
Wales Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Wales in the Oriya language | ||
| ୱାେଲସ | waelasa | - |
| Wales in the Arabic language | ||
| ويلز | wylz | - |
| وايلز | waylz | - |
| ايلز | aylz | - |
| الز | alz | - |
| ولس | wls | - |
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Footnotes
- Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
- Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
- Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
- Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
- Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
- Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Wales
- To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on FamilySearch, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis