This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the wright,' often latinized in mediaeval rolls into faber, a skilled workman in various materials.

'He was a well good wright, a carpenter.' Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.

Robert le Wriete, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Roger le Wriete, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Margery le Wrytte, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Adam Wrygson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Redebarn, wryght 1379: ibid.

Robert Wreghtson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Ann Wrighteson, Yorkshire: Fabric Rolls of York Minster: Wills and Inventories (Surtees Society).

1741. Baptised — James, s. James Wrightson: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

1742. Married — Alex. Wright and Mary Harwood: ibid.

Wrightson belongs to an extremely small but interesting class; compare Smithson, Hinson, Taylorson, and Herdson.

A surname common to the Lowlands and to the north of England, from Old English wyrhta, a worker, chiefly in wood, a carpenter. With Scots it has displaced Carpenter, a surname of Latin origin. Rauf le Wrighte, burgess of Stirling, and Thomas le Whright of the Blakehalle of Lanarkshire rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p. 197,213). In 1342 there is mention of the land of Richard Wricht or Richard dictus Wright in Aberdeen, and Malcolm Vrycht was a charter witness there in 1362 (REA., I, p. 71,105). Robert Wryhyt, a carpenter of Berwick, was employed on the roof of the chapel and hall called "la Blakhalle" of the Castle of Berwick in 1362, and Thomas Wryhyt of Alnewyk, another carpenter, aided him (Bain, IV, p. 17). A wadset by Robert Vrich, burgess of Dunde, is recorded in 1397 (Pitfirrane, 10), and John Wrycht was concerned in a law dispute in Aberdeen in 1398 (CRA., p. 371), and William Wrycht held land in Edinburgh, 1405 (Egidii, p. 43). William Wrycht of Lethnot is mentioned in 1410 (REB., I, 29), Richard Wryth was perpetual chaplain of St. Clement the Martyr in Dundee, 1427 (RMS., II, 95), and in 1435 William Wrycht, dominus de Glenesk, is referred to (REB., I, p. 75). William Wrythe with the consent and assent of his spouse Cristine Wrycht made a grant in favor of the Abbey of Newbattle, 1462 (Neubotle, p. 248). Richard Writht was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1492 (NSCM., I, p. 37). Possibly some Macintyres have Englished their name Wright. Vrycht 1558, Wercht 1473, Wrecht 1462, Wreicht 1536, Wreight 1684, Wrych 1435, Wryt 1610, and in the Register of Cupar-Angus Abbey the name is common under the forms Wiricht, Wirrycht, Wirryht, Wirycht, Wrich, and Wryght.

The Wright’s Son: v. Wright.

(English) The son of the worker in wood.

The Anglo-Saxon wyrhta signifies, in its widest sense, the same as the Latin faber, a workman of any kind, but more specifically an artificer in hard materials. The eminent antiquary who bears this surname observes, that "Smith was the general term for a worker in metals, and Wright for one who worked in wood and other materials. Hence in the later English period smith became the peculiar name of a blacksmith, and wright of a carpenter, as it is still in Scotland." Wright's Vocab. p. 10. And in this way it was understood in Chaucer's days. He says of his Reeve: —

The son of a Wright. See Wright. Cognate surnames are Cookson, Smithson, Stewardson, &c.

Wright. —This name is distributed over England, but is comparatively infrequent in the counties on the south coast, and in the northern counties north of Yorkshire. It exists in densest numbers in the counties lying between the Wash and the Thames, being especially numerous in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, and also, but to a less extent, in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. In the midlands it is nearly as crowded, and has its chief centres in Warwickshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire, etc. It is also very frequent in Lincolnshire and Cheshire, and is somewhat less numerous in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Wrights have established themselves in Scotland, though in no great numbers, and not usually north of Perthshire.

The surname Wright is an occupational name from the Old English word ‘wyrhta’ which means ‘a carpenter or joiner’. In early times almost everything was made of wood, and this occupational name covered a huge variety of trades. These we find in the comparatively rare compound surnames Wheelwright, Arkwright (box-maker), Cartwright and Sievewright. Later, the word ‘wright’ became synonymous with ‘worker’, and in many of the records this names is Latinised to Faber. (This also happened to many people called Smith, which see). As the meaning of ‘wright’ came to spread to all trades, many compounds were formed for skills which involved no connection with wood-amongst these are Playwright, and the lesser known Cheesewright (which remains as a rare surname).

The word ‘wright’ has long been in common usage in England. In literature, we find Chaucer using it in the fourteenth century. He mentions a man who ‘was a well good wright, a carpenter’. However, the surname Wright appears even earlier.

Other common variations on the original name are Wrighte, Wraight(e), Wrate and Wreight.

One of the earliest references to the name is found in the Feet of Fines records for Sussex in 1214 where a Patere le Writh is mentioned.

The Wright Brothers-Orville (1871—1948) and Wilbur (1867—1912)-have gone down in history as the designers of the first heavier-than-air flying machine. Their 745lb wheel-less biplane powered by a 12hp motor first took to the air on 17 December 1903 at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Airborne for 12 seconds, it travelled about 10 feet above the ground with Orville strapped into the driving seat, for 120 feet before taking a nose dive. Nicknamed Wright Flyer I, it now hangs in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

British physician Sir Almroth Wright was noted for his work in developing an anti-typhoid inoculation.

Two Wrights have been Lord Mayors of London: Edmund Wright in 1640 and Thomas Wright in 1785.

The United Kingdom has one related place name-Wrightington Bar, while Canada has 3 (one Wright and 2 Wrightsvilles) and the United States has 7 ranging from Wright to Wrightwood. Australia has a Wright lake; Canada has a Wright mountain; and the United States has a Wrightson mountain.

With about 194,000 namesakes Wright is the 13th most popular surname in England and Wales. There are over 10,000 Wrights in Scotland where it is 68th in popularity. Wright is notably popular in and around Nottingham where an estimated one in about 200 families bears the name. In descending numerical order Leicester, Sheffield and Leeds are other Wright strongholds. Around the world Wrights are most common in Sydney (one in 563 families), Auckland (one in 568) and Wellington (one in 584). The United States has more Wrights than the entire population of Bristol-an estimated total of just over 453,000 makes this their 29th most popular surname.