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

Waiters, 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 Waiters surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waiters in America

Waiters is the 1809th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waiters surname appeared 19,853 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Waiters.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waiters 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 Waiters

The surname Waiters has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "waiter," which referred to a person whose occupation was to serve food and drink.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Adam le Waiter." This suggests that the name was already in use as a descriptive term for someone's occupation during that time.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Wayter" and "Waytour," indicating variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 mention a "Johanna Wayter" from Cambridgeshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 record a "Johannes Waytour" from Yorkshire.

The Waiters surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Waiter's Green in Suffolk and Waiter's Hill in Gloucestershire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Waiters surname who resided in those areas.

One notable bearer of the Waiters surname was Thomas Waiter (c. 1535-1592), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir William Waiters (1592-1676), an English soldier and adventurer who played a significant role in the English Civil War. He was renowned for his loyalty to King Charles I and his military exploits during the conflict.

In the 18th century, John Waiters (1708-1795) gained recognition as a renowned British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.

The 19th century saw the rise of Robert Waite Waiters (1818-1897), a British politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as a Queen's Counsel.

In the realm of literature, Mary Waiters (1857-1935) was a notable English writer and poet who published several works, including "The Tramp's Anthology" and "The Lyric Year."

While the surname Waiters has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational name used in medieval England to describe individuals who served food and drink.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waiters

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

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

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

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