Warning last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Warning

An English surname derived from an occupational reference to a scout or sentry.

Warning, 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 Warning surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Warning in America

Warning is the 26025th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Warning surname appeared 942 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Warning.

We can also compare 2010 data for Warning 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 26025 24784 4.88%
Count 942 943 -0.11%
Proportion per 100k 0.32 0.35 -8.96%

The history of the last name Warning

The surname "Warning" is of English origin and dates back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "warnian," which means "to take heed" or "to guard against." The name was likely given to someone whose occupation involved warning others of potential dangers or serving as a guard or watchman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a John le Warning is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century and may have been derived from a place name or occupation.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records across England, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, where a William Warning is listed in Oxfordshire. The spelling variations at the time included "Warnynge" and "Warnyng."

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence with notable individuals such as William Warning (c. 1520-1590), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bapchild in Kent. His works included theological treatises and sermons.

Another notable figure was John Warning (1567-1640), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Aylesbury in the Parliament of 1628-1629.

In the 17th century, the name can be found in various parish records, including the baptism of Susanna Warning in St. James's Church, Clerkenwell, London, in 1666.

During the 18th century, a prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Warning (1725-1798), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including the Guildhall and the Royal Exchange.

Another notable figure from this period was James Warning (1740-1810), an English-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Throughout history, the surname "Warning" has maintained its presence, although it has never been among the most common surnames. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and its connection to occupations related to guarding and alerting others to potential dangers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Warning

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

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 Warning was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.48% 890
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.76% 26
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.64% 6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.74% 7
Hispanic Origin 1.38% 13

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 Warning has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.48% 95.23% -0.79%
Black 2.76% 2.76% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.64% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.74% 0.74% 0.00%
Hispanic 1.38% 0.74% 60.38%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Warning last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/warning-surname-popularity/.

"Warning last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/warning-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Warning last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/warning-surname-popularity/.

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