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

Walcott, 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 Walcott surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walcott in America

Walcott is the 7641st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walcott surname appeared 4,346 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Walcott.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walcott 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 Walcott

The surname Walcott has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "walh" meaning "foreigner" or "stranger" and "cot" meaning "cottage" or "small dwelling." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a cottage or settlement inhabited by foreigners or settlers from another region.

The name is thought to have first appeared in the county of Shropshire, where it was associated with the village of Walcot near the town of Shrewsbury. Early records from the 13th century mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Walter de Walecote and William de Walcote.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Walcott can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled for King Edward I. The rolls mention a John de Walcote from Shropshire, indicating the presence of the name in that area during that time period.

In the 14th century, the Walcott name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, which were records of tax payments. These rolls mention a Richard de Walcote, suggesting the name had spread to neighboring counties by that point.

During the 15th century, the name Walcott gained prominence with the emergence of notable individuals bearing the surname. One such figure was Sir John Walcott (c. 1420-1499), a member of Parliament and landowner in Somerset. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the region for several generations.

Another significant bearer of the Walcott name was John Walcott (1626-1667), an English theologian and minister who served as the rector of St. Martin's Church in Canterbury. He was known for his writings on religious topics and his involvement in the Church of England during the turbulent times of the English Civil War and the Interregnum.

In the 18th century, the Walcott name gained further recognition with the birth of John Walcott (1754-1831), an English naturalist and entomologist. He made significant contributions to the study of insects and published several works on the subject, including "Descriptions of Petra Insectorum" and "Illustrations of British Entomology."

The 19th century saw the emergence of Benjamin Walcott (1822-1894), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting rural scenes in Britain. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and are held in collections around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walcott

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

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

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

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