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

Weaver, 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 Weaver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weaver in America

Weaver is the 192nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weaver surname appeared 143,837 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 49 people would have the surname Weaver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weaver 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 Weaver

The surname Weaver is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "wefan", meaning to weave or fabricate cloth. It originated in England and can be traced back to the 11th century, during the Norman Conquest.

The first recorded instance of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth across medieval England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several individuals with the surname Weaver or variations like Wefere or Wevere, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.

In the following centuries, the name became more widespread as the textile industry grew in importance across various regions of England. Areas like Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk had a high concentration of weavers, and many adopted the Weaver surname as a reflection of their trade.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert le Wevere, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. Another notable individual was John Weaver, a renowned English playwright and author who lived from 1576 to 1623 and wrote several popular plays during the Elizabethan era.

In the 17th century, the surname gained further prominence with the birth of John Weaver (1673-1760), a renowned English dancer and choreographer who is widely regarded as the father of English pantomime. His contributions to the art of dance and choreography were groundbreaking for his time.

The 18th century saw the rise of another prominent figure with the Weaver surname, Thomas Weaver (1773-1855), an English engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of steam engines and other industrial machinery.

As the name spread across England and later to other parts of the world through migration, variations like Wever, Weever, and Wever emerged in different regions, reflecting local dialectal differences and spelling variations.

Throughout history, the Weaver surname has been associated with skilled artisans, entrepreneurs, and individuals involved in the textile industry, reflecting the occupational origins of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weaver

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

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

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

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