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

Waterbury, 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 Waterbury surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waterbury in America

Waterbury is the 13855th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waterbury surname appeared 2,181 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 Waterbury.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waterbury 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 Waterbury

The surname Waterbury is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Waterbury, which is found in several locations across England, such as in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Devon.

The name Waterbury is derived from the Old English words "wæter" meaning water and "burgh" meaning a fortified town or settlement. This suggests that the name originally referred to a town or village near a body of water, such as a river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waterbury can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Watreberie" in the county of Hertfordshire. This indicates that the name was already in use during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Waterbiry" and "Waterburi", reflecting the evolution of spelling over time. During this period, a notable figure named John de Waterbury was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1235.

The 16th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals with the surname Waterbury. One such person was Sir Richard Waterbury, a member of the English gentry who lived from 1540 to 1592. He was a member of Parliament and served as a Justice of the Peace in Hertfordshire.

In the 17th century, the name Waterbury gained recognition in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was David Waterbury, who was born in 1615 in England and later immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637. He became a prominent figure in the colony and served as a deputy to the General Court.

Another notable individual with the surname Waterbury was John Waterbury, who was born in 1679 in Connecticut. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and served as a representative in the Connecticut General Assembly.

In the 18th century, Reverend Benjamin Waterbury, born in 1718 in Connecticut, was a renowned Congregationalist minister and played a significant role in the Great Awakening religious movement.

The 19th century saw the rise of several influential figures with the surname Waterbury, including David Waterbury, an American inventor born in 1819 in Connecticut. He is credited with developing the first successful portable timepiece, known as the Waterbury Watch.

Throughout its history, the surname Waterbury has been associated with various place names, such as Waterbury, Connecticut, which was named after the prominent Waterbury family who settled in the area in the 17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waterbury

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

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

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

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