2000
#8,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,398
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Waites
An English occupational surname referring to a watchman, guard, or hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,934 Americans carry the last name Waites. That puts it at #9,139 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waites 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 Waites with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,126
Census rank
#9,139
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,431 bearers of the surname Waites in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9139th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waites, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waites
The surname Waites is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "waiten" or "waiten," which means "to watch" or "to guard." It is believed to have emerged as an occupational surname during the medieval period, referring to individuals who served as watchmen or guards, particularly those who patrolled the streets at night.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable mention is found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where it appears as "Adam le Wayte." This indicates that the name was already in use during that time, likely referring to someone employed as a watchman or guard.
Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Wayte, Waite, and Waytes. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions during earlier periods.
The Waites surname is also associated with certain place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Waites Court in Somerset, which may have been named after individuals bearing this surname who resided in or owned land in that area.
One of the earliest notable figures associated with this surname was Sir Thomas Waite (c. 1419-1498), an English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the 15th century.
Another prominent individual was Sir Nicholas Waite (c. 1530-1587), an English diplomat and administrator who served as Secretary of State during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the realm of literature, Robert Waites (1798-1859) was a notable English poet and author who published several works, including "Poems and Songs" (1827) and "The Maid of Moscow" (1836).
During the 18th century, John Waites (1744-1827) was a respected English clockmaker and instrument maker, known for his contributions to the development of precision timepieces.
More recently, Maurice Waites (1913-1992) was a British author and playwright, best known for his novel "Born in Captivity" (1966), which explored the theme of mental illness.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Waites throughout history, highlighting its longstanding presence and varied backgrounds across various fields and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waites
Among Census respondents with the surname Waites, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Waites 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 Waites surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.3% · 2,206
- Black or African American27.6% · 947
- Two or more races4.2% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waites
Waites 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
#8,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,808
+410 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 229 places
2020
#9,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,431
-377 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 504 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,864 | 3,398 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,635 | 3,808 | 1.29 | +410 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 229 places |
| 2020 | #9,139 | 3,431 | 1.15 | -377 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 504 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 Waites 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 | #8,635 | #9,139 | -5.8% |
| Count | 3,808 | 3,431 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.15 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waites bearers went from 3,808 to 3,431 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 504 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,635 to #9,139.
FAQ
Waites surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waites?
Name Census estimates that about 3,934 living Americans carry the surname Waites. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,126 residents.
How common is Waites?
Waites ranks #9,139 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,431 people with the surname Waites. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,934), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Waites.
Has Waites become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waites went from 3,808 recorded bearers to 3,431. That is a decrease of 377 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,635 to #9,139.
What does the Census say about the background of Waites?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waites, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Waites in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.3% (2,206 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waites appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.3%), Black (27.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Waites (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 Waites mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a watchman, guard, or hunter. 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 Waites (1.15 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 last name Waites?
Want to know how many people are called Waites? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.