2000
#1,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,415
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.46
Uncommon Last name
Waite
An English occupational surname referring to a watchman, guard, or gatekeeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,971 Americans carry the last name Waite. That puts it at #2,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waite surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Waite with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,163
Census rank
#2,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,416 bearers of the surname Waite in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waite, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waite
The surname Waite is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "waiten," meaning "to watch" or "to guard." This occupation-based surname first emerged in the Middle Ages, referring to those who performed guard duties or served as watchmen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waite can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Waitehomme," referring to a "man who watches." This historical reference highlights the name's association with the occupation of a watchman or sentry.
In the 13th century, the surname Waite was commonly found in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, England. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with names like Wayte, Waitt, and Wayth appearing in various records.
Notable individuals with the surname Waite include Sir Nicholas Waite (c. 1500-1557), an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was William Waite (1610-1666), an English clergyman and one of the founding members of the Royal Society.
In the 18th century, Thomas Waite (1708-1774) was a renowned English architect and surveyor, known for his work on several notable buildings, including the Old Strafford Shire Hall in Nottingham.
Moving into the 19th century, Edgar Waite (1834-1900) was an English theologian and scholar who served as a canon at Winchester Cathedral. Additionally, Ralph Waite (1928-2014) was an American actor best known for his roles in the television series "The Waltons" and "NCIS."
Throughout history, the surname Waite has been associated with various regions in England, including Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Nottinghamshire. The name's origins as an occupation-based surname reflect the important role of watchmen and guards in medieval society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waite
Among Census respondents with the surname Waite, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Waite bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Waite surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 14,615
- Black or African American7.8% · 1,350
- Two or more races3.6% · 622
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 603
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 144
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 82
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waite
Waite appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,664
+1,249 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 6.33
Rank movement Down 44 places
2020
#2,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,416
-1,248 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 5.83
Rank movement Down 92 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,892 | 17,415 | 6.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,936 | 18,664 | 6.33 | +1,249 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 44 places |
| 2020 | #2,028 | 17,416 | 5.83 | -1,248 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 92 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Waite surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,936 | #2,028 | -4.8% |
| Count | 18,664 | 17,416 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.33 | 5.83 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waite bearers went from 18,664 to 17,416 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 92 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,936 to #2,028.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Waite
FAQ
Waite surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waite?
Name Census estimates that about 19,971 living Americans carry the surname Waite. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,163 residents.
How common is Waite?
Waite ranks #2,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,416 people with the surname Waite. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,971), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Waite.
Has Waite become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waite went from 18,664 recorded bearers to 17,416. That is a decrease of 1,248 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,936 to #2,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Waite?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waite, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Waite in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (14,615 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waite appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (7.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Waite (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Waite mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a watchman, guard, or gatekeeper. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Waite (5.83 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Waite?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.