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

Watkinson, 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 Watkinson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Watkinson in America

Watkinson is the 28380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Watkinson surname appeared 841 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 Watkinson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Watkinson 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 Watkinson

The surname Watkinson originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "wæter" meaning water and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting the name's bearers lived near a body of water or a watery location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where it is spelled as "de Waterton." This variation suggests the name may have been associated with a place called Waterton, which likely referred to a settlement near a body of water.

The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any direct references to the Watkinson surname, but it does mention several places with names related to water, such as "Waterleia" (Waterley) and "Watefeld" (Waterfield), indicating the significance of water-related names in medieval England.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including "Watyrton," "Watreton," and "Waterton," reflecting the fluid nature of spelling during that era. One notable example is John de Waterton, a 14th-century English landowner and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War.

As time passed, the surname evolved into its modern spelling of Watkinson. In the 16th century, records show individuals such as William Watkinson, a yeoman farmer from Lancashire, and Robert Watkinson, a merchant from Yorkshire.

Another prominent figure bearing the Watkinson surname was Sir Thomas Watkinson (1545-1622), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of Attorney General for Ireland.

In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with individuals like John Watkinson (1735-1801), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and Thomas Watkinson (1761-1835), an English engineer and inventor known for his contributions to textile machinery.

The 19th century saw the birth of Mary Watkinson (1826-1900), a British philanthropist and social reformer who worked to improve the lives of vulnerable children and established the Watkinson Cottage Homes for destitute girls.

Throughout its history, the Watkinson surname has been associated with various professions, from landowners and military personnel to merchants, architects, engineers, and philanthropists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Watkinson

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

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

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

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