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

Wareham, 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 Wareham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wareham in America

Wareham is the 14979th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wareham surname appeared 1,973 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 Wareham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wareham 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 Wareham

The surname WAREHAM originated in England, specifically in the county of Dorset. It is a locational name derived from the town of Wareham, which dates back to the Saxon period. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "waeringa" meaning "dwellers" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "settlement."

One of the earliest references to the name WAREHAM can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show a William de Wareham who was a prominent landowner in Dorset. During this time, the spelling of the name varied, with versions such as Warham,Wareham, and Warreham appearing in various documents.

The town of Wareham itself has a rich history, having been an important Saxon settlement and later a Norman fortified town. It was also a significant port in the Middle Ages, which may have contributed to the spread of the name as people migrated to other parts of England.

One notable bearer of the WAREHAM surname was Robert Wareham, who was the Bishop of Norwich from 1493 to 1499. He was a significant figure in the ecclesiastical and political spheres of his time.

Another individual of note was William Wareham, born in 1516, who was a prominent merchant and citizen of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, a John Wareham, born in 1635, was a renowned Puritan minister and author, known for his religious writings and sermons.

The WAREHAM name has also been associated with several places in England, such as Wareham Forest in Dorset and Wareham St. Mary, a village in Suffolk.

Over the centuries, the WAREHAM surname has been carried by various individuals across different walks of life, including clergymen, merchants, landowners, and more. While its origins can be traced back to a specific town in Dorset, the name has since spread throughout England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wareham

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

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

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

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