Wisdom
An English surname from the word “wisdom,” originally a nickname for a wise or learned person, and also associated with a Devon place-name.
The #5,194 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,849 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained from Old English wīsdom, meaning “wisdom” or “learning.” In surname use, it could function as a nickname for someone thought to be wise, prudent, or learned. Some 19th-century sources also connect it with a place called Wisdom in Cornwood, Devon, so the surname may be locational for at least some families.
History
Historical sources record the name in medieval England, including forms such as Wymund Wysdom. Later writers noted families of Wisdom in western England, especially the West Country, and some treated the name as tied to the Devon estate or village-name. Because the surname is also a plain English vocabulary word, both nickname and locational explanations may have played a part.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century antiquary joked that people named Hele of Wisdom must all be “descended from Wisdom,” because they had done so well for themselves.
From the historical record
“a valley] WISDOM (Eng.) a nickname [O.E. wisdom, wisdom, learning] Wymund Wysdom. — Hund. Rolls. WISE (Eng.) Sage, Learned [M.E. wys{e, wisie, O.E. wis^ WISEMAN (Eng.) r = Wise (q.v.) -f- man. 2 a name for a Wizard or Conjuror.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)