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

Wathen, 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 Wathen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wathen in America

Wathen is the 9479th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wathen surname appeared 3,432 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 Wathen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wathen 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 Wathen

The surname Wathen is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name derived from the Old English words "wath" meaning ford, and "dun" meaning hill or down. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a hill by a ford or shallow river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, which mentions a Richard de Wathendun. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also record a John de Wathenden in Buckinghamshire. These early spellings reflect the name's evolution from the original place name.

The Wathen surname appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Buckinghamshire during the medieval period. Some notable early bearers of the name include Walter de Wathenden, who is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Staffordshire in 1302, and John Wathen, who is recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327.

In the 16th century, the name is found in various spellings such as Wathen, Wathyn, and Wathin. One notable figure from this time is William Wathen, a merchant from Shrewsbury who was born around 1520 and is mentioned in the city's records.

Over the centuries, the Wathen surname has been carried by several individuals of note. One such person is Sir Henry Wathen (1580-1644), a Welsh politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire. Another is Richard Wathen (1679-1726), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 19th century, Edward Wathen (1830-1901) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Alban's Church in Holborn. Meanwhile, James Wathen (1851-1927) was a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Birmingham.

Throughout its history, the Wathen surname has maintained its roots in England, with various branches of the family residing in different counties and regions. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the concept of a hill near a ford or river crossing.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wathen

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

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

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

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