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

Waghorn, 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 Waghorn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waghorn in America

Waghorn is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waghorn surname appeared 112 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 Waghorn.

The history of the last name Waghorn

The surname WAGHORN is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Waghorn in the county of Hampshire. This place name itself is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "wæg" meaning "wall" or "ridge," and "horn" referring to a spur or projection of land.

The earliest recorded instances of the WAGHORN surname can be found in Hampshire county records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John de Waghorn, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Hampshire in 1285. The Feet of Fines were legal documents used to record the transfer of land ownership.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Waghorne, Waughorne, and Wawghorne, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling conventions of the time. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Hampshire, the name is recorded as Waghorne.

In the 15th century, the WAGHORN surname began to spread beyond Hampshire to other parts of England. One notable individual from this period was John Waghorn, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the Paston family in Norfolk, dated around 1472.

One of the earliest known WAGHORN emigrants to the American colonies was Thomas Waghorn, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He is recorded in the "Cavaliers and Pioneers" list of early settlers in Virginia.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the WAGHORN surname was Samuel Waghorn (1730-1805), an English poet and schoolmaster from Somerset. His published works include "The Recluse," a collection of poems released in 1766.

Another notable WAGHORN was Thomas Waghorn (1800-1850), a British naval officer and explorer who established a successful overland route between England and India, known as the Overland Route. He played a significant role in improving communication and trade links between Britain and its colonies in the East.

During the 19th century, the WAGHORN surname gained further recognition with individuals like Reverend Henry Waghorn (1768-1846), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects, and Sir Thomas Waghorn (1824-1889), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waghorn

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

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 Waghorn 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.

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Waghorn, 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!