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

Weatherspoon, 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 Weatherspoon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weatherspoon in America

Weatherspoon is the 6310th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weatherspoon surname appeared 5,409 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Weatherspoon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weatherspoon 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 Weatherspoon

The surname Weatherspoon has its origins in England, arising during the medieval period between the 11th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the Old English words "wæder" meaning weather and "spoon" referring to a maker or shaper of objects, likely describing an early tradesman who made weather vanes or similar items.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Weatherspoon name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a William Wetherdespon is mentioned as a taxpayer. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, with a John Wethersponne listed as a resident of the county.

During the 13th century, the Weatherspoon surname was particularly concentrated in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, though it later spread to other parts of England. Variations in spelling were common, with forms such as Wetherdspon, Wetherspoon, and Wetherspoone appearing in historical records.

One notable individual bearing the Weatherspoon name was Sir John Weatherspoon (c. 1486-1549), who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1528 and played a role in the city's defense during the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion. Another early figure was Thomas Weatherspoon (c. 1510-1585), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

In the 17th century, the Weatherspoon surname can be found in the parish records of several English villages, such as Wetherspoon families residing in Clapham, Yorkshire, and Weatherspoon families in Warwickshire. One notable member of the family during this period was Robert Weatherspoon (1633-1711), a successful landowner and magistrate in the county of Northamptonshire.

As the British Empire expanded, the Weatherspoon name spread to other parts of the world, with members of the family recorded in colonial America and later in Canada, Australia, and other former British territories. One notable individual was James Weatherspoon (1789-1858), a Scottish-born merchant and industrialist who established successful businesses in both Canada and the United States.

While the Weatherspoon surname has evolved and dispersed over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the skilled craftsmen and tradesmen of medieval England, whose work with weather-related items led to the distinctive surname still in use today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weatherspoon

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

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

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

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