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

Weddell, 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 Weddell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weddell in America

Weddell is the 35582nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weddell surname appeared 632 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 Weddell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weddell 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 Weddell

The surname Weddell has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "wæd" meaning "ford" and "hyll" meaning "hill," referring to a settlement near a ford on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where it appears as "Wedehyll." This suggests that the surname originated in the county of Yorkshire, possibly in a place called Wedhyll or a similar variation.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Wedhill," "Wedhyll," and "Wedell." The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a Robert de Wedhyll, indicating the use of the surname in that era.

The Weddell family's presence can also be traced in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in the 14th century, where names like "Johannes de Wedhyll" and "Willelmus de Wedhill" are documented.

One notable individual with the surname Weddell was Hugh Weddell (c. 1519-1578), an English merchant and sea captain who was instrumental in establishing trade routes between England and Russia during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was John Weddell (1583-1642), an English clergyman and academic who served as the president of St. John's College, Oxford, and was a renowned scholar of his time.

In the 17th century, the Weddell family had a presence in the county of Wiltshire, where John Weddell (1607-1677), an English landowner and politician, served as a Member of Parliament for Hindon.

During the 18th century, James Weddell (1787-1834), a British naval officer and seal hunter, gained fame for his exploration of the Antarctic regions and the discovery of the Weddell Sea, which was named in his honor.

In the field of science, Thomas Weddell (1788-1858), an English botanist and horticulturist, made significant contributions to the study of plants and is remembered for his work on the genus Stanhopea, a group of orchids native to tropical America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weddell

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

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

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

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