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

Atterson, 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 Atterson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Atterson in America

Atterson is the 98099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atterson surname appeared 185 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Atterson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Atterson 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 Atterson

The surname Atterson has its origins in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It is derived from the Old English words "aet" meaning "at" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "farm". Combined, these words formed the name "Aettun" referring to someone who lived at an enclosure or farm.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Atterson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Aettune". This historical document was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror, recording landowners and tenants across England. The name appears in various forms such as Aetton, Attoun, and Atton throughout medieval records and charters.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as Attone in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, England. These rolls were administrative records documenting households and landowners for taxation purposes. The spelling had evolved to Atterson by the late 15th century, as evidenced by records in the Cartulary of St. Mary's Abbey in York.

Notable figures with the surname Atterson include Sir William Atterson (1554-1637), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. John Atterson (1598-1668) was a English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Faithful Surveyor" published in 1659.

In the 18th century, Mary Atterson (1736-1806) was a renowned English artist and portraitist, whose works are displayed in various galleries across the United Kingdom. James Atterson (1768-1828) was a Scottish merchant and philanthropist, who established several charitable foundations in his hometown of Edinburgh.

One of the earliest recorded places associated with the name is Atterson Farm, a historic farmstead located in the village of Weston, Northamptonshire, England. This farmstead dates back to the 16th century and is believed to have been named after an early Atterson family who owned the land.

While the surname Atterson is not among the most common in modern times, its rich history and origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon settlements of England, where it emerged as a name describing someone who lived at an enclosure or farm.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Atterson

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

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 Atterson 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 Atterson 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 Atterson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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