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 (for example, a shipwright is a person who builds ships), and is used as a British family name.
Wright is the sixteenth most common surname in England. Its use as an occupational title continued until the mid-19th century. This use was often combined with other words such as in shipwright, wheelwright, wainwright and playwright.
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" (son of the carpenter).
Aaron Wright (born 1977), Australian radio personality
Adam Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Albert Hazen Wright, American herpetologist
Alexander Wright (soldier), British army private, awarded VC during the Crimean War
Alex Wright, former wrestler
Alex Wright (footballer born 1925), Scottish footballer
Allen Wright, Choctaw chief credited with creating the name "Oklahoma"
Almroth Wright, British bacteriologist
Alonzo Wright, Canadian politician
Ambrose R. Wright, American Confederate General
Amos Wright, Canadian politician
Amy Wright, American actress
Andrew Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Anthony Wright (quarterback), American football player
Anthony Wright (field hockey), Canadian field hockey player
Anthony David Wright, British politician, MP for Great Yarmouth
Antoine Wright (disambiguation), several people, including:
Antoine Wright (basketball) (born 1984), American basketball player
Antoine Wright (politician) (born 1960), Vanuatuan politician
Arthur E. Wright (1907–1977), Canadian politician
Arthur Williams Wright (1836–1915), American physicist
Arthur Wright (footballer) (1919–1985), English footballer who played for Sunderland
Sir Arthur Cory-Wright, 2nd Baronet (1869–1951)
Arthur Wright (writer) (1870–1932), Australian novelist
Arthur F. Wright (1913–1976), American academic, sinologist, editor and professor of history
Arthur Hobbins Wright (1861–1938), New Zealand policeman and police commissioner
A. Gilbert Wright (1909–1987), American zoologist
Ashley B. Wright, American politician
Ashley Wright (cricketer), English cricketer
Bailey Wright, Australian footballer
Barry Wright, English footballer
Beals Wright, American tennis player
Ben Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Bernie Wright, British footballer and TV personality
Betsey Wright, American political consultant, lobbyist, and activist
Betty Wright (born 1953), American musician
Bill Wright (outfielder) (1914–1996), baseball player
Bill Wright (catcher), baseball player
Billy Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
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
Bradley Wright-Phillips, English footballer
Brian Wright (rugby league), Australian rugby league player
Brian Wright (Scottish footballer)
C. D. Wright, American poet
Carl Wright (civil servant), British civil servant
Carolyn Wright (Chief Justice), the Chief Justice of the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas
Carroll D. Wright, American statistician
Chalky Wright, Mexican boxer
Charles Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Chauncey Wright, American philosopher and mathematician
Chely Wright (born 1970), American singer
Chris Wright (footballer), English footballer
Christopher B. Wright, American webcomic writer
Cindy Wright (born 1972), Belgian artist
Claud William Wright (1917–2010), British amateur paleontologist and public servant
Clarissa Dickson Wright, English celebrity chef
Claire Wright, British trampolinist
Cliff Wright, British illustrator
Clyde Wright, former baseball player
Craig Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Crispin Wright, British philosopher
Dale Wright (1938–2007), American rock 'n' roll singer
Dana Wright (born 1959), Canadian former hurdler
Daniel Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Dare Wright, Canadian children's writer
David Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Denny Wright, British guitarist
Don Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Dorell Wright, American basketball player
Doug Wright, American playwright
Doug Wright II, Canadian cartoonist
Doug Wright (cricketer), English cricketer
Douglas E. Wright, Canadian horror writer
E. M. Wright (1906–2005), British mathematician and coauthor of the "Hardy & Wright" number theory textbook
Edgar Wright, English film director
Edward Wright (disambiguation), 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, American theorist of life insurance
Eric Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Erik Olin Wright, American sociologist
Ernest Vincent Wright, American writer
Eugene Wright (born 1923), musician
Farnsworth Wright (1888–1940), editor of Weird Tales
Fielding L. Wright, American politician
Finbar Wright (born 1957), Irish singer, songwriter, musician and poet
Frances Wright, British-American lecturer
Frank Edwin Wright III (aka Tré Cool, born 1972), German-born American drummer for the punk rock band Green Day
Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
Franz Wright (born 1953), poet
Fred Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Freda Wright-Sorce, American radio personality
G. V. Wright, Irish politician
Gary Wright, American musician
Georg Henrik von Wright (1916–2003), Finland-Swedish philosopher
George Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Gertrude Baniszewski, American murderer, also known as Gertrude Wright
Gillian Wright, British actress
Ginny Wright, American singer
Gordon Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Gregory Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Harold Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
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 (disambiguation), multiple people
Hiram A. Wright, American politician
Horatio Wright, American general
Ian Wright, English footballer and TV presenter
Ian Wright (traveller), British traveller
Iain Wright (born 1972), British politician
Isaac Wright
J. Skelly Wright (1911–1988), American circuit and district judge
Jackie Wright, British comedian
Jackie Wright (footballer), English footballer
Jaguar Wright, American singer
Jake Wright, football player
James Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Jamey Wright, American baseball player
Jamie Wright (born 1976), Canadian ice hockey player
Janet Wright (1945–2016), Canadian actress
Jaret Wright, American baseball player
Jay Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Jeffrey Wright (actor), American actor
Jeremy Wright
Jeremiah Wright, American pastor
Jim Wright, American politician
Joanne Wright, British badminton player
Jocky Wright, Scottish footballer
Joe Wright, film director (Pride & Prejudice and Atonement)
John Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Johnny Wright (footballer), Northern Irish footballer
Johnny Wright (music manager), American music act manager
José Roberto Wright, former Brazilian football (soccer) referee
Joseph Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Joshua Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Judith Wright (1915–2000), Australian poet
Katharine Wright, high school teacher; sister of Wilbur and Orville
Katie Wright, American actress
Keith Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Kenneth Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Kit Wright, English poet and children's author
Kristy Wright, Australian actress
L. R. Wright (1939–2001), Canadian writer
Lawrence Wright, American author
Laura Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Leo Wright, American jazz musician
Lloyd Wright, architect
Lorenzen Wright, basketball player
Lorenzo Wright, American athlete
Louis Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Lucilla Wright, English field hockey player
Luke Edward Wright, American politician
Luke Wright, English cricketer
Luther Wright, former basketball player
Manuel Wright, American football player
Marc Wright (1890–1975), American pole vaulter
Margaret Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Marian Wright Edelman (born 1939), American lawyer and founder of the Children's Defense Fund
Mark Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Martha Griffiths, American lawyer, also known as Martha Edna Wright
Martin Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Marty Wright, American wrestler
Matthew Wright (disambiguation)
Mauricio Wright, Costa Rican soccer player
Max Wright, American actor
Micah Wright, American writer
Michael Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Mickey Wright, American golfer
Mike Wright, American football player
Milton Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
N. T. Wright, English theologian and prolific writer
Nate Wright, American football player
Nathan Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Orville Wright (1871–1948), American airplane inventor
Pamela Payton-Wright, American actress
Patrick Wright (historian), British cultural studies academic
Patrick Wright, Baron Wright of Richmond, British diplomat
Pete Wright (musician), bass player for the band Crass from 1977 until 1984
Peter Coleman-Wright (born 1958), Australian baritone opera singer
Peter Wright (disambiguation), multiple people, including:
Peter Wright, a former MI5 counterintelligence officer, Spycatcher author
Peter Wright (martyr), English Jesuit
Peter Wright (rugby league), Australian rugby league footballer
Peter Wright (rugby union), Scottish rugby union footballer and coach
Philemon Wright, Canadian farmer
Phillip Wright, Human Resource Specialist
Phoenix Wright (character), a defense attorney and the main character of the Nintendo DS video game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Quincy Wright, American political scientist
Ralph Wright, American animator, storyboard writer and voice actor
Randy Wright, American football player
Rebecca Wright, American ballet teacher
Richard Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Rob Wright, Canadian songwriter
Robert Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Robin Wright (author), Washington Post staff writer
Robin Wright (born 1966), American actress
Roger Wright (born 1956), British music administrator
Roger Wright (born 1974), American pianist
Ronald Wright, Canadian writer
Ronald Selby Wright, Church of Scotland minister
Roy Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Ruby Wright (1914–2004), American singer and songwriter
Ruby Wright (1939–2009), American country music singer-songwriter
Ruggles Wright, Canadian lumber merchant
Samuel E. Wright, American actor
Sarah Wright, American actress
Sarah E. Wright, American writer
Scooby Wright III (born 1994), American football player
Sewall Wright (1889–1988), biologist
Shannon Wright, American singer-songwriter
Shaun Wright-Phillips (born 1981), English footballer
Silas Wright (fl. 1840s), American politician
Simon Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Simon Wright (musician), Australian drummer
Simon Wright (politician), British Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament
Sophie Wright (disambiguation), multiple people, including:
Sophie B. Wright, 1866–1912), American educator
Sophie Wright (chef), British chef
Stanton Macdonald-Wright, American painter
Stephen Wright (English footballer), English footballer
Stephen Wright (writer), American writer
Steve Wright (DJ), English broadcaster
Steve Wright (serial killer) (born 1958), British serial killer
Steven Wright (born 1955), 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
Teresa Wright, American actress
Terry Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Theodore Wright, British soldier
Theodore Paul Wright, American aeronautical engineer
Theodore S. Wright, African-American abolitionist
Thomas Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Timothy Wright, American gospel singer, and pastor
T. M. Wright, American writer
Todd Wright, American sports broadcaster
Tom Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Tommy Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Tony Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Trey Wright (born 1974), American pianist
Turbutt Wright (1741–1783), American planter and politician
Tyler Wright, Canadian ice hockey player
Trucy Wright, a character in the Nintendo DS video game Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
Victoria Wright (born 1976), female badminton player from France
Vivian Wright, fictional character from Dream Team
Wallace Duffield Wright, British soldier
Warren Wright (1893–1962), American politician
Whitaker Wright, English businessman
Wilbur Wright (1867–1912), American airplane inventor
Will Wright (actor) (born 1891), American character actor
Will Wright (cyclist) (born 1973), Welsh cyclist
Will Wright (game designer), American computer game designer most known for developing SimCity and The Sims
S. S. Van Dine, American writer, also known as Willard Huntington Wright
William Wright (disambiguation), multiple people
Wm. Robert Wright, Latter Day Saint historian
Winky Wright, American boxer
The Wright brothers (Wilbur and Orville Wright), airplane inventors
Pastor Leon Wright, a fictional character in The Returned (U.S. TV series)
Wright Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA