Waterston
An English surname derived from a place name referring to a town located near water.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 240 Americans carry the last name Waterston. That puts it at #89,403 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,428,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waterston surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
240
1 in 1,428,143
Census rank
#89,403
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
207
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 207 bearers of the surname Waterston in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 89403rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waterston, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waterston
The surname Waterston is of English origin, deriving from a locational name for someone who lived near a settlement with a stream or river. It likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is a combination of the Old English words "waeter" meaning water, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Richard de Waterton is mentioned. This suggests the name may have originated in areas like Oxfordshire or nearby counties where watercourses were prevalent.
In the 14th century, variations of the name like Waterton appear in records across England, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. This indicates the name had spread to different regions by that time.
The Waterstones were a notable family from Westmorland (now part of Cumbria) in the 16th century. Edward Waterston (c.1540-1592) was a member of this family and served as a Justice of the Peace.
Robert Waterston (1599-1677) was a Scottish minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1642. He was a prominent figure during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
George Waterston (1684-1766) was a Scottish merchant and judge who served as a Baillie (magistrate) of Edinburgh in the early 18th century.
William Waterston (1811-1886) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral.
Edward Lewis Waterston (1834-1916) was a British naturalist and writer, best known for his works on natural history and taxidermy.
The name Waterston has been associated with various place names over the centuries, often reflecting its locational origins. Examples include Waterton in Yorkshire, Watertown in Oxfordshire, and Waterton in Cumbria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waterston
Among Census respondents with the surname Waterston, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Waterston bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Waterston surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3%
- Hispanic or Latino6.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Waterston surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #89,403 | #89,403 | 0.0% |
| Count | 207 | 207 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Waterston bearers went from 207 to 207 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #89,403 to #89,403.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Waterston
FAQ
Waterston surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Waterston?
The surname Waterston holds position #89,403 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 240 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Waterston surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waterston, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.