Find out how popular the last name Atherton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Atherton.

Atherton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Atherton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Atherton in America

Atherton is the 5382nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atherton surname appeared 6,466 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Atherton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Atherton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Atherton

The surname Atherton originates from England, specifically in the county of Lancashire. It is a locational name derived from the place name Atherton, a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. The name is believed to have originated in the Old English language, with "Atherton" meaning "the farmstead or village where oats were grown."

The earliest recorded mention of the name Atherton dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Atherton." This suggests that the name and the settlement were already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, various records mention individuals with the surname Atherton, such as William de Atherton, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. The prefix "de" in his name indicates a locational surname, linking him to the place of Atherton.

During the 14th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, "Atherton." In the Wigan Court Rolls of 1347, a Richard Atherton was mentioned as holding lands in the area.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Atherton was Sir William Atherton (c.1530-1610), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

In the 17th century, John Atherton (1598-1640) gained recognition as an English Puritan clergyman and one of the earliest settlers of Dorchester, Massachusetts. He played a significant role in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another prominent figure was James Atherton (1660-1738), a British lawyer and Whig politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Wigan and Newton.

In the 19th century, William Atherton (1775-1842) was a notable English poet and schoolmaster who published several works, including "The Fall of Nineveh" and "The Last Days of Herculaneum."

One of the most celebrated individuals with the Atherton surname was Gertrude Atherton (1857-1948), an American novelist and literary critic. She was a prolific writer and is best known for her novels depicting the social and cultural life of California in the late 19th century.

These examples illustrate the long history and prominence of the surname Atherton, which has its roots firmly planted in the English county of Lancashire and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Atherton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Atherton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Atherton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Atherton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Atherton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Atherton, please contact us.

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