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

Washer, 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 Washer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Washer in America

Washer is the 17565th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Washer surname appeared 1,601 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 Washer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Washer 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 Washer

The surname "WASHER" is of English origin, derived from the occupational name for a person who washed clothes or linens for a living. It is believed to have emerged in the late 13th or early 14th century, during the Middle English period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a "John le Washer" residing in the village of Pateley Bridge. The prefix "le" was a common way of denoting occupations during this time.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in various records with slight spelling variations, such as "Wasshere" and "Wasshour." These variations likely stemmed from the regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of spelling conventions in those days.

The name is also found in the Hertfordshire Subsidy Rolls of 1523, which mention a "Thomas Wassher" from the town of Watford. This suggests that the surname had spread to other parts of England by the 16th century.

One notable bearer of the name was John Washer (c. 1550-1616), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Wolverhampton. He is best known for his work "The Doctrine of Re-Baptizing," published in 1609.

Another historical figure with the surname was William Washer (1687-1738), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He is recorded as having owned several properties in the town of Knaresborough during the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, the name appears in various directories and records, including the 1881 Census of England and Wales, which lists several families with the surname "WASHER" living in areas such as London, Lancashire, and Yorkshire.

One notable individual from this period was Henry Washer (1822-1898), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal College of Music.

The surname "WASHER" can also be found in various place names, such as Washer Lane in the village of Weston, Hertfordshire, and Washer's Green in the town of Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the surname who lived or worked in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Washer

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

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

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

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