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

Hathaway, 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 Hathaway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hathaway in America

Hathaway is the 1966th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hathaway surname appeared 18,401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hathaway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hathaway 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 Hathaway

The surname Hathaway is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "haeth" meaning a heathland or heather, and "weg" meaning a way or path. It is a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a heath or heather-covered path or road.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to the late 12th century, appearing as "de Hathewey" in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. This suggests that the name originated in the county of Gloucestershire, where heathlands were abundant.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Hathawuda" is mentioned, which is believed to be the modern-day village of Hathaway in Gloucestershire. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the region.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Hathaway, who was born around 1260 in Gloucestershire. He was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 as a taxpayer in the village of Hathaway.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Hathaway was found in various records across England, with variations in spelling such as Hathawey, Hathwey, and Hathaway. Notable individuals from this period include:

1. John Hathaway (c. 1540-1620), an English merchant and explorer who traveled to the West Indies and Central America.
2. Anne Hathaway (1556-1623), the wife of William Shakespeare, the renowned English playwright and poet.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name spread across England and to other parts of the world through migration and colonization. Some notable bearers of the surname during this time include:

1. Henry Hathaway (1798-1885), an English-born American businessman and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois.
2. George Hathaway (1825-1899), an English-born Australian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of South Australia.
3. Nathaniel Hathaway (1868-1939), an American architect who designed several notable buildings in St. Louis, Missouri.

Throughout its history, the surname Hathaway has been associated with various occupations, from merchants and explorers to politicians and architects, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hathaway

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!