2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Washbourne
An English surname referring to someone who lived near or by a stream or flowing water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Washbourne. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Washbourne 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 Washbourne with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Washbourne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Washbourne, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Washbourne
The surname Washbourne is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words 'waes' meaning 'marsh' and 'burna' meaning 'stream'. It is believed to have originated in the county of Gloucestershire, England, during the 11th century. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream in a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Waceburne'. This entry indicates that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name was often spelled 'Washborne' or 'Washbourne', reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. Some variations included 'Wasshebourn' and 'Wassheburn'.
A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Washbourne (c. 1380 - 1437), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Henry V.
Another significant figure was Richard Washbourne (1564 - 1627), a publisher and bookseller who was known for printing Catholic works during the English Reformation.
In the 17th century, the Washbourne family was well-established in the county of Worcestershire, where they owned several estates and manors, such as the Washbourne Court in Stanford-on-Teme.
John Washbourne (1738 - 1815), a member of this Worcestershire branch, was a renowned clockmaker whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the English gentry.
During the 19th century, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to North America and Australia, as members of the Washbourne family emigrated to these regions.
One notable descendant was Thomas Washbourne (1816 - 1888), a British barrister and historian who authored several works on the history of Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Washbourne
Among Census respondents with the surname Washbourne, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Washbourne 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 Washbourne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 82
- Two or more races10.4% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Washbourne
Washbourne appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-13 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,088 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 6,088 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 Washbourne 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 | #150,452 | #156,540 | -4.0% |
| Count | 109 | 96 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Washbourne bearers went from 109 to 96 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 6,088 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #156,540.
FAQ
Washbourne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Washbourne?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Washbourne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Washbourne?
Washbourne ranks #156,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 96 people with the surname Washbourne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Washbourne.
Has Washbourne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Washbourne went from 109 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Washbourne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Washbourne, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Washbourne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Washbourne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Two or More Races (10.4%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Washbourne (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 Washbourne mean?
An English surname referring to someone who lived near or by a stream or flowing water. 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 Washbourne (0.03 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 surname Washbourne?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.