The Wolfe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 83,928 people carried this name — #374 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 3,510 people counted. That is up 1% from 83,112 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Wolfe surname

A surname transferred from the given name of English and German origin, a variant of Wolf.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Wolfe» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the wolf’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Roger Ulfe, c. 1250 — Cartularium Abbathiae de Whiteby.

His entry covers Wolff, Wolf, Wolfe, Woolfe, Wulff and Wulf.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 821 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

29 people named Wolfe is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 29

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Wolfe in American newspapers,
1859–1871.

Newspaper page from Spirit Of The Age carrying the name Wolfe
Spirit Of The Age 1859-05-04
Newspaper page from Fayetteville Observer carrying the name Wolfe
Fayetteville Observer 1867-04-04
Newspaper page from The Kenosha Telegraph carrying the name Wolfe
The Kenosha Telegraph 1871-06-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Wolfe in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

25,602 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wolfe. The most, 3,794, date from the 1870s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 7,991
Victoria 6,919
Queensland 4,039
Tasmania 2,732
Western Australia 2,558
South Australia 1,144
ACT (Canberra) 113
Northern Territory 28

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wolfe.

Who carried it

People named Wolfe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Wolfe
    James Wolfe 1727–1759 · military officer
  • Arthur Wolfe, 1st Viscount Kilwarden
    Arthur Wolfe, 1st Viscount Kilwarden 1738–1803 · judge
  • Charles Wolfe
    Charles Wolfe 1791–1823 · writer
  • Simeon K. Wolfe
    Simeon K. Wolfe 1824–1888 · judge
  • Catharine Lorillard Wolfe
    Catharine Lorillard Wolfe 1828–1887 · art collector

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — Charles Wolfe: User:Pruneau, CC BY-SA 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 204 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Wolfe,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States6,518 records

6,518 records of the Wolfe name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 3,109
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,101
  • Other U.S. records 2,308
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Richard Ogden Wolfe

    Born 1942; from Kansas City, Kansas. U.S. Navy, hospital corpsman; killed in action 1969 in An Xugen, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Joe C. Wolfe

    Born 1917 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; painter from Hamilton County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1944, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Laurentine Wolfe

    Arrived at New York in 1891 aboard the La Gascogne from Havre, aged 16; farmer. From Jersey City, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 6,518 records for Wolfe in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada888 records

888 records of the Wolfe name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 744
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 36
  • Other Canadian records 108
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Louis Wolfe

    Came to Ontario in 1877 aboard the Labrador, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; French.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Vera Wolfe

    Died 1989, aged 96; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Samuel Erwin Wolfe

    Died 1966 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 888 records for Wolfe in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia778 records

778 records of the Wolfe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 297
  • Tasmanian Names Index 266
  • Other Australian records 215
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Thomas Wolfe

    Died 1922 in Bridgenorth, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1922.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Thomas Wolfe

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1831. Married 1833 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Wolfe

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Baring, arriving 1819; ticket of leave 1826. Native of London.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 778 records for Wolfe in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

United Kingdom14 records

14 records of the Wolfe name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Wolfe

    Buried in 1823 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 71.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. S. Wolfe

    Lance Corporal, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. T. Wolfe

    Manchester Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Wolfe in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand7 records

7 records of the Wolfe name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Leslie Reuben Wolfe

    Died 1964, aged 45; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Ann Wolfe

    Died 1932, aged 58; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Julia Mary Wolfe

    Died 1925, aged 69; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Wolfe in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands7 records

7 records of the Wolfe name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Neina May Wolfe

    Married in 1875 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Wilhelmina Theresia Wolfe

    Married in 1897 in 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Wolfe

    Married in 1643 in Grave.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Wolfe in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France4 records

4 records of the Wolfe name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Edmund Wolfe

    Born 1925 in Germany; died 2001 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Andrew Peter Wolfe

    Born 1949 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Wolfe in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Germany2 records

2 records of the Wolfe name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Viktor Wölfe

    From Frankfurt a. M. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 29 August 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Franz Wölfe

    From Bierhütte, Wolfstein. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 2 October 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wolfe.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Wolfe is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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