Wright
Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker, and is used as a British family name.
The word's use as an occupational title continued until the mid-19th century, often combined with other words such as in shipwright, wheelwright, wainwright and playwright. , Wright was the eleventh most common surname in England.
The word carpentier, now "carpenter", was introduced into England in the years after the Norman conquest in 1066 and slowly replaced the traditional name and meaning of wright in most of England. 'Wright' is still used in Scottish English in the original meaning of 'skilled woodworker'. The Incorporation of Wrights of the Trades House of Glasgow, and the Incorporation of Wrights and Masons of Edinburgh Trades retain the word in its original meaning in their role of promoting the woodworking trade.
Wright is also an anglicised version of the Scots Gaelic clan name "MacIntyre" or "Mac an t-Saoir", meaning "son of the wright".
In Ireland, the native Gaelic Mac an Cheairt sept of County Mayo occasionally changed their name to Wright. This is a literal translation meaning, "son of the right or righteous".
People with the family name
A
- Alfred Wright, Anglican priest
- Alfred Wright , American Presbyterian minister, missionary and doctor
- Allen Wright, Choctaw chief credited with creating the name "Oklahoma"
- Allen Wright , Scottish arts critic and journalist
- Almroth Wright, British microbiologist and immunologist
- Ambrose R. Wright, American Confederate Army General
- Amos Wright, Canadian politician
- Arin Wright, American association football player
- Aron Wright, American physician and educator
B
- Bailey Wright, Australian footballer
- Barry Wright, English footballer
- Beals Wright, American tennis player
- Beatrice Wright, American-born British politician
- Beatrice Wright , American psychologist
- Bernie Wright, British footballer
- Berny Wright, Costa Rican footballer
- Betsey Wright, American political consultant
- Betty Wright, American singer
- Blanche Fisher Wright, illustrator
- Bob Wright, American television businessman and president, CEO, and chairman of NBC
- Bonnie Wright, English actress, known for playing Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter Film series.
- Brad Wright, TV writer
- Brad Wright , American basketball player
- Bradley Wright-Phillips, English footballer
- Brian Wright, Australian rugby league player
- Brian Wright
C
- Carl Wright, British civil servant
- Carolyn Wright, the Chief Justice of the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas
- Carolyn D. Wright, American poet
- Carroll D. Wright, American statistician
- Chalky Wright, Mexican boxer
- Charles Wright, multiple people
- Chauncey Wright, American philosopher and mathematician
- Chely Wright, American singer
- Chris Wright, English footballer
- Christopher B. Wright, American webcomic writer
- Cindy Wright, Belgian artist
- Claud William Wright, British amateur paleontologist and public servant
- Clarissa Dickson Wright, English celebrity chef
- Claire Wright, British trampolinist
- Claire Wright, British politician
- Cliff Wright, British illustrator
- Clyde Wright, former baseball player
- Craig Wright, multiple people
- Cobina Wright, singer, actress, and newspaper columnist
- Cobina Wright Jr., singer and actress
- Crispin Wright, British philosopher
D
- Dale Wright, multiple people
- Dana Wright, Canadian former hurdler
- Daniel Wright, multiple people
- Dare Wright, Canadian children's writer
- David Wright, multiple people
- Demetrius Wright, American football player
- Denny Wright, British guitarist
- Don Wright, multiple people
- Dorell Wright, American basketball player
- Doug Wright, American playwright
- Doug Wright II, Canadian cartoonist
- Doug Wright, English cricketer
- Douglas E. Wright, Canadian horror writer
E
- E. M. Wright, British mathematician and coauthor of the "Hardy & Wright" number theory textbook
- Edgar Wright, English film director
- Edward Wright, multiple people
- Edwin M. Wright, American foreign relations expert
- Edythe Wright, American singer who recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
- Elizabeth Oehlkers Wright, American translator
- Elizur Wright, abolitionist, American theorist of life insurance
- Eric Wright, multiple people
- Erik Olin Wright, American sociologist
- Ernest Vincent Wright, American writer
- Ethel Wright, multiple people
- Eugene Wright, musician
F
- Farnsworth Wright, editor of Weird Tales
- Fielding L. Wright, American politician
- Finbar Wright, Irish singer, songwriter, musician and poet
- Frances Wright, British-American lecturer
- Frank Edwin Wright III, German-born American drummer for the punk rock band Green Day
- Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
- Franz Wright, poet
- Fred Wright, multiple people
- Freda Wright-Sorce, American radio personality
G
- G. V. Wright, Irish politician
- Gary Wright, American musician
- Georg Henrik von Wright, Finland-Swedish philosopher
- George Wright, multiple people
- Gertrude Baniszewski, American murderer, also known as Gertrude Wright
- Gillian Wright, British actress
- Ginny Wright, American singer
- Gordon Wright, multiple people
- Gregory Wright, multiple people
H
- Harold Wright, multiple people
- Harriet G. R. Wright, American politician
- Harry Wright, baseball player
- Helena Rosa Wright, pioneer in birth control
- Henry T. Wright, American archaeologist, National Geographic, University of Michigan
- Henry W. Wright
- Herbert Wright, multiple people
- Hiram A. Wright, American politician
- Horatio Wright, American general
I
- Ian Wright, English footballer and TV presenter
- Ian Wright, British traveller
- Iain Wright, British politician
- Imogen Wright
- Irene Aloha Wright, American historian
- Isaac Wright
J
- J. Skelly Wright, American circuit and district judge
- Jackie Wright, British comedian
- Jackie Wright , English footballer
- Jaguar Wright, American singer
- Jake Wright, British football player
- James Wright, multiple people
- Jamey Wright, American baseball player
- Jamie Wright, Canadian ice hockey player
- Janet Wright, Canadian actress
- Jaret Wright, American baseball player
- Jarvis T. Wright, American businessman and politician
- Jay Wright, multiple people
- Jeffrey Wright, American actor
- Jeremy Wright, English politician
- Jeremiah Wright, American pastor
- Jim Wright, American politician
- Joanne Goode, British badminton player
- Joanne Nicholas, British badminton player
- Jocky Wright, Scottish footballer
- Joe Wright, British film director
- John Wright, multiple people
- Johnnie Wright, American musician
- Johnny Wright, Northern Irish footballer
- Johnny Wright, American music act manager
- Jonathan B. Wright, American actor, songwriter
- José Roberto Wright, former Brazilian football referee
- Joseph Wright, multiple people
- Joshua Wright, multiple people
- Judith Wright, Australian poet
- Julia McNair Wright, American writer
- Julia M. Wright, academic
- Justine Wright, film editor from New Zealand
K
- Katharine Wright, high school teacher; sister of Wilbur and Orville
- Katie Wright, American actress
- Keith Wright, multiple people
- Kenneth Wright, multiple people
- Kit Wright, English poet and children's author
- Kristy Wright, Australian actress
L
- L. R. Wright, Canadian writer
- Lawrence Wright, American author
- Laura Wright, multiple people
- Leo Wright, American jazz musician
- Liam Wright, Papua New Guinean basketball player
- Liza Wright, American politician
- Lloyd Wright, architect
- Lorenzen Wright, basketball player
- Lorenzo Wright, American athlete
- Louis Wright, multiple people
- Lucilla Wright, English field hockey player
- Luke Edward Wright, American politician
- Luke Wright, English cricketer
- Luther Wright, former basketball player
- Lyle Wright, United States Hockey Hall of fame inductee
M
- Manuel Wright, American football player
- Marc Wright, American pole vaulter
- Margaret Wright, multiple people
- Marian Wright Edelman, American lawyer and founder of the Children's Defense Fund
- Marie Robinson Wright, American journalist, traveler, historian, author
- Mark Wright, multiple people
- Martha Griffiths, American lawyer, also known as Martha Edna Wright
- Martin Wright, multiple people
- The Boogeyman , American wrestler
- Matthew Wright
- Mauricio Wright, Costa Rican soccer player
- Max Wright, American actor
- Max Wright , Australian footballer
- Micah Wright, American writer
- Michael Wright, multiple people
- Mickey Wright, American golfer
- Mike Wright, American football player
- Milton Wright, multiple people
- Muriel H. Wright, American author and historian, granddaughter of Choctaw Nation chief, Allen Wright
N
- N. T. Wright, English theologian and prolific writer
- Nate Wright, American football player
- Nathan Wright, multiple people
O
- O. V. Wright, American singer
- Orville Wright, American airplane inventor
P
- Pamela Payton-Wright, American actress
- Patrick Wright, British cultural studies academic
- Patrick Wright, Baron Wright of Richmond, British diplomat
- Pete Wright, bass player for the band Crass from 1977 until 1984
- Peter Coleman-Wright, Australian baritone opera singer
- Peter Wright, multiple people, including:
- * Peter Wright , English counterintelligence officer, Spycatcher author
- * Peter Wright , English ceramic artist
- * Peter Wright , English Jesuit and martyr
- * Peter Wright, Australian rugby league footballer
- * Peter Wright, Scottish rugby union footballer and coach
- Philemon Wright, Canadian farmer
- Phillip Wright, Australian pastoralist and philanthropist, chancellor of the University of New England
Q
- Quincy Wright, American political scientist
R
- Ralph Wright, American animator, storyboard writer and voice actor
- Randy Wright, American football player
- Rasty Wright , American baseball player
- Rebecca Wright, American ballet teacher
- Richard Wright, multiple people
- Rob Wright, Canadian songwriter
- Robert Wright, multiple people
- Robin Wright, Washington Post staff writer
- Robin Wright, American actress
- Roger Wright , British music administrator
- Roger Wright, American pianist
- Ronald Wright, Canadian writer
- Ronald Selby Wright, Church of Scotland minister
- Roy Wright, multiple people
- Ruby Wright , American singer and songwriter
- Ruby Wright , American country music singer-songwriter
- Ruggles Wright, Canadian lumber merchant
S
- Samuel E. Wright, American actor
- Sarah Wright, American actress
- Sarah E. Wright, American writer
- Scooby Wright III, American football player
- Sewall Wright, biologist
- Shannon Wright, American singer-songwriter
- Shaun Wright-Phillips, English footballer
- Silas Wright, American politician
- Simon Wright, multiple people
- * Simon Wright, Australian drummer
- * Simon Wright, British Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament
- Sophie Wright, multiple people, including:
- * Sophie B. Wright, 1866–1912), American educator
- * Sophie Wright, British chef
- Stanton Macdonald-Wright, American painter
- Stephen Wright, English footballer
- Stephen Wright, American writer
- Steve Wright, English broadcaster
- Steve Wright , British serial killer
- Steven Wright, comedian
- Stevie Wright
- Stuart Wright, English rugby league player
- Susan Barrantes, mother of Sarah, Duchess of York; also known as Susan Mary Wright
- Susan Webber Wright, American judge
- Susanna Wright, American poet
- Sydney Fowler Wright, English writer
- Syreeta Wright, American singer-songwriter
T
- Teresa Wright, American actress
- Terry Wright, multiple people
- Theodore Wright, British soldier
- Theodore Paul Wright, American aeronautical engineer
- Theodore S. Wright, African-American abolitionist
- Thomas Wright, multiple people
- Timothy Wright, American gospel singer, and pastor
- T. M. Wright, American writer
- Todd Wright, American sports broadcaster
- Tom Wright, multiple people
- Tommy Wright, multiple people
- Trey Wright, American pianist
- Turbutt Wright, American planter and politician
- Tyler Wright, Canadian ice hockey player
V
- Victoria Wright, female badminton player from France
W
- Wallace Wright, Scottish footballer
- Wallace Duffield Wright, British soldier
- Warren Wright, American politician
- Whitaker Wright, English businessman
- Wilbur Wright, American airplane inventor
- Wilmer Cave Wright, British-born American classical philologist
- Winky Wright, American boxer
- The Wright brothers, airplane inventors
Fictional entities
- Pastor Leon Wright, a character in The Returned
- Phoenix Wright, a defense attorney in the Ace Attorney video game series
- Seth Wright, press secretary in Netflix's 2016 series Designated Survivor
- Trucy Wright, a character in the Ace Attorney video game series
- Vivian Wright, a character in the Dream Team TV series