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

Washington, 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 Washington surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Washington in America

Washington is the 53316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Washington surname appeared 388 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 Washington.

We can also compare 2010 data for Washington 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 Washington

The surname WASHINTON is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "washingtun" or "wassingatun," which referred to a settlement or farmstead owned by someone named Wassa or Wassing.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name WASHINTON can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey of landowners in England. The name appears as "Wassyngton" in these rolls, suggesting its presence in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, the WASHINTON name was recorded in various forms, including "Wessyngton" and "Wessington," in documents such as the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire and the Subsidy Rolls for Nottinghamshire. These records indicate that the name was widespread across different parts of England.

The WASHINTON surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was John de Wassingtone, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1316 as a landowner in Northamptonshire.

Another prominent figure was Lawrence WASHINTON, a 15th-century English landowner and member of the gentry from Northamptonshire. He was born around 1420 and was known for his involvement in local affairs and his role as a justice of the peace.

In the 16th century, Robert WASHINTON (c. 1540-1615) was a prominent clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Bright Waltham in Berkshire. He was also a noted writer and published several works on theology and philosophy.

During the 17th century, the WASHINTON name gained further prominence with George WASHINTON (1587-1644), a successful merchant and landowner in Westmoreland, England. He was a respected figure in his community and served as a justice of the peace.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the WASHINTON surname was George Washington (1732-1799), the first President of the United States. Although his ancestors had adopted the spelling "Washington," the surname's origins can be traced back to the WASHINTON lineage in England.

While the WASHINTON surname has evolved over centuries and has been subject to various spellings and regional variations, its roots can be firmly traced back to the early settlements and landowners of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Washington

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

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

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

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