2000
#9,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Wathen
Derived from a place name meaning "from Wathen," referring to various locations in England and Wales.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,670 Americans carry the last name Wathen. That puts it at #9,685 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,394 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wathen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wathen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,394
Census rank
#9,685
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,200 bearers of the surname Wathen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9685th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wathen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wathen
Among Census respondents with the surname Wathen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wathen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Wathen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 2,900
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 117
- Two or more races3.3% · 106
- Black or African American1.6% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wathen
Wathen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,432
+166 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#9,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,200
-232 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 206 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,185 | 3,266 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,479 | 3,432 | 1.16 | +166 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #9,685 | 3,200 | 1.07 | -232 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 206 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wathen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,479 | #9,685 | -2.2% |
| Count | 3,432 | 3,200 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.07 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wathen bearers went from 3,432 to 3,200 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 206 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,479 to #9,685.
FAQ
Wathen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wathen?
Name Census estimates that about 3,670 living Americans carry the surname Wathen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,394 residents.
How common is Wathen?
Wathen ranks #9,685 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,200 people with the surname Wathen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,670), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wathen.
Has Wathen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wathen went from 3,432 recorded bearers to 3,200. That is a decrease of 232 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,479 to #9,685.
What does the Census say about the background of Wathen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wathen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wathen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,900 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wathen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wathen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wathen mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "from Wathen," referring to various locations in England and Wales. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wathen (1.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Wathen?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Wathen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.