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

Waugh, 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 Waugh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waugh in America

Waugh is the 3171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waugh surname appeared 11,387 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Waugh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waugh 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 Waugh

The surname Waugh is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "walh" or "walah," meaning "foreigner" or "stranger." This term was initially used to refer to people of Celtic or Romanized British descent living among the Anglo-Saxons.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waugh can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire, where a person named William le Waleys was mentioned in 1246. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Waleys, Walch, Walgh, and eventually Waugh.

The name Waugh has been associated with several historical figures throughout the centuries. One notable example is Sir William Waugh (1644-1707), a Scottish military officer who served as the Governor of the Presidencies of Madras and Fort St. George in India during the late 17th century.

Another prominent individual was Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh (1903-1966), an English writer best known for his novels like "Brideshead Revisited" and "A Handful of Dust." He was a prominent figure in the literary world and is considered one of the great satirical novelists of the 20th century.

The Waugh surname also has connections to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Waughtown, located in Lancashire, is believed to have derived its name from the Waugh family, who were once prominent landowners in the area.

Other notable individuals with the surname Waugh include:

1. Ralph Waugh (1635-1733), an English Quaker minister and diarist known for his detailed accounts of life in 17th-century England.

2. Frederick Judd Waugh (1861-1940), an American marine painter celebrated for his seascapes and coastal scenes.

3. Alec Waugh (1898-1981), a British novelist and travel writer who was the elder brother of Evelyn Waugh.

4. Julia Nava Waugh (1888-1973), an American sculptor and art educator known for her work in the American Southwest.

5. Dan Waugh (born 1949), an American historian and expert on the Silk Road and Central Asian studies.

While the surname Waugh may have originated from a term denoting foreigners, it has since become an integral part of English and British history, with many notable individuals bearing this name contributing significantly to various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waugh

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

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

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

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