Wales
A surname for someone from Wales, or from a place in England called Wales.
The #6,602 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 60,149 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually locative or regional. It most commonly points to someone from the country of Wales, and in older English usage the name behind it goes back to Old English words for a Welshman or foreigner, related to the ethnonym behind modern 'Welsh.' In some cases it may instead come from a place-name such as Wales in Yorkshire.
History
Medieval records show the surname early in England, and the form could be applied either to a person of Welsh origin or to someone living near a place called Wales. Because surnames from country-names were common in English naming, the same spelling can reflect more than one local origin. Modern bearers are found mainly in English-speaking countries, especially the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname can be a reminder of how often medieval English surnames identified people by where they came from rather than by an occupation or family line.
From the historical record
“Adam. "W ale.— Hund. Rolls. WALES (Eng.) I Bel. to Wales, either the coun- try or the Yorkshire parish (Doiilesday Wales)lO.E. Wedlas, ploiWealh, aWelsh- man] Engle and Seaxe ... Wedlas ofer c6mon. — 'Song 1 of Brunariburh' : A.-Sax. Chron., A.D. 937. Cecilia de Wales. —”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)