Wise
A surname meaning “wise,” originally a nickname for a sagacious or learned person.
The #485 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,497 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wise comes from Old English wis, meaning “wise,” “knowing,” or “learned.” It began as a descriptive nickname for someone regarded as shrewd, prudent, or scholarly. Medieval records also show it in forms like Wyse and la Wyse, and the same root appears in related surnames such as Wiseman.
History
The surname is well established in medieval English records and appears in several spelling forms. It was sometimes used simply as a personal nickname, but in some cases it may have identified someone thought especially prudent or knowledgeable. Related medieval usage also shows how the word could be applied more broadly as a label for judgment or even, in older sources, for a conjuror or “wise man.”
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same old root behind Wise also shows up in names like Wiseman, and medieval documents even used “wise” as a kind of compliment or label for judgment.
From the historical record
“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. WISGAR (Eng.) the A.-Sax. pers. name Wisgar = Wise Spear [O.E. wis + gar, a spear] WISH (Eng.) Dweller at the Meadov\?land [M.E. wyssh, O.E. wise]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)