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

Waterhouse, 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 Waterhouse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waterhouse in America

Waterhouse is the 9129th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waterhouse surname appeared 3,577 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 Waterhouse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waterhouse 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 Waterhouse

The surname Waterhouse is of English origin, derived from a topographical name for someone who lived near a body of water, such as a river, lake, or stream. The name can be traced back to the 12th century and is believed to have originated from the Old English words "wæter" meaning water, and "hus" meaning house or dwelling.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Waterhouse can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it is listed as "Waterhus." This spelling variation indicates that the name was initially used to describe a house or dwelling near a body of water.

During the Middle Ages, the name Waterhouse appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and their holdings. The name was also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One notable figure bearing the surname Waterhouse was Sir Edward Waterhouse (1619-1670), an English politician and diplomat who served as Secretary of State under Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth period. Another prominent individual was Nicholas Waterhouse (1510-1587), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs.

In the literary world, the name Waterhouse is associated with Graham Waterhouse (1923-2010), a British author and playwright known for his works exploring social issues and working-class life in England. Additionally, Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) was a renowned English architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings, including the Natural History Museum in London.

The name Waterhouse has also been linked to various place names and locations throughout England, such as Waterhouse Lane in Staffordshire, Waterhouses in Durham, and Waterhouse Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names further reinforce the topographical origins of the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Waterhouse include John Waterhouse (1809-1876), a British artist known for his Pre-Raphaelite paintings; Benjamin Waterhouse (1754-1846), an American physician who introduced smallpox vaccination to the United States; and Ellis Waterhouse (1905-1985), a British art historian and author who specialized in British painting.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waterhouse

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!