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

Waterson, 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 Waterson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waterson in America

Waterson is the 27625th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waterson surname appeared 871 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 Waterson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waterson 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 Waterson

The surname Waterson is of English origin and is derived from the Old English words "waeter" meaning water and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, essentially translating to "a settlement by the water". It is thought to have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a body of water such as a river, lake or stream.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Waterson dates back to the late 12th century in the county of Gloucestershire, where it appeared as "Waterton" in the Pipe Rolls of 1196. This suggests that the name likely originated in this region, possibly in a place called Waterton, which may have been a settlement located near a body of water.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places with similar names, such as "Watrefeld" in Hertfordshire and "Watrevile" in Norfolk, indicating that the name may have had multiple local origins across different parts of England.

Throughout the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Waterton, Watertoun, Watertown, and Waterson. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Waterton (1349-1425), an English military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his service.

Another significant figure was John Waterson (c. 1515-1584), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the Protestant Reformation for refusing to renounce his faith. He is considered a saint by the Catholic Church.

Other notable individuals with the surname Waterson include:

1. Henry Waterton (1789-1861), an English naturalist and explorer, best known for his writings on natural history and his travels in South America.
2. Edmund Waterton (1811-1887), an English Catholic priest and writer, known for his works on theology and apologetics.
3. Charles Waterson (1854-1923), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.
4. Nell Waterson (1867-1942), an English actress and singer, who performed in various theatrical productions in London's West End.
5. Henry Watterson (1840-1921), an American journalist and politician, who served as the editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal and was a prominent voice in the Democratic Party.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waterson

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

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

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

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