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

Waverly, 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 Waverly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waverly in America

Waverly is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waverly surname appeared 118 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 Waverly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waverly 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 Waverly

The surname WAVERLY originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Waverley, which comes from the Old English words "wæfre" meaning "wavering" or "restless" and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name refers to a meadow or clearing near a wandering stream or river.

The earliest known record of the surname WAVERLY dates back to the late 12th century in the county of Surrey, England. It appears in the Pipe Rolls of 1194 as "Walterus de Waverlea". This entry refers to Walter of Waverley, likely a landowner or resident of the area known as Waverley.

The name WAVERLY is also connected to the Cistercian abbey founded in 1128 at Waverley in Surrey. This abbey, known as Waverley Abbey, was the first Cistercian abbey established in England and played a significant role in the spread of the Cistercian order throughout the country.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname WAVERLY was Sir John Waverly (c. 1460 - 1536), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1512. He was a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.

Another prominent figure was William Waverly (c. 1590 - 1668), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Haslemere, Surrey during the English Civil War. He was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.

In the 17th century, Sir Walter Waverly (1622 - 1677) was an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Surrey. He was known for his involvement in local affairs and served as a Justice of the Peace.

The surname WAVERLY is also associated with the literary works of Sir Walter Scott. In his novel "Waverley" (1814), the title character is named Edward Waverley, though the character's surname is not directly connected to the place name or the real-life surname.

Additionally, the American author and playwright Gertrude Waverly (1855 - 1924) was a notable figure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her plays and novels depicting American life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waverly

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

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

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

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