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

Watty, 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 Watty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Watty in America

Watty is the 95545th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Watty surname appeared 191 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 Watty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Watty 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 Watty

The surname Watty has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the medieval Scottish name "Walter," which itself comes from the Old German name "Walther," meaning "ruler of the army." The earliest recorded instances of the name were in the regions of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records and documents, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One notable entry was that of Adam Wattie, a landowner from Berwickshire.

The surname Watty also has a connection to several place names in Scotland, including Wattston and Wattyburn. These place names likely originated from individuals who bore the surname and lived in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Watty was John Watty, born around 1450 in Ayrshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the region.

In the 16th century, the surname gained further recognition with the birth of Robert Watty (1515-1587), a Scottish clergyman and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. He was a close associate of John Knox and served as the minister of St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Another notable figure was William Watty (1630-1704), a Scottish merchant and landowner who amassed significant wealth through his trading ventures. He was also a philanthropist and contributed to the establishment of several schools and churches in his hometown of Lanark.

In the 18th century, James Watty (1725-1790) made a name for himself as a renowned mathematician and astronomer. He was a professor at the University of Edinburgh and made significant contributions to the fields of celestial mechanics and navigation.

One of the more recent individuals with the surname Watty was Alexander Watty (1870-1945), a Scottish politician and member of the British Parliament. He represented the constituencies of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire during his political career.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Watty

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

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

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

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