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

Wedderburn, 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 Wedderburn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wedderburn in America

Wedderburn is the 24961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wedderburn surname appeared 996 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 Wedderburn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wedderburn 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 Wedderburn

The surname Wedderburn has its origins in Scotland, originating from the parish of the same name in Berwickshire. The name is derived from the Old English words 'wether', meaning a male sheep or ram, and 'burna', meaning a stream or brook. Thus, the name Wedderburn likely refers to a stream or brook where rams or sheep were kept.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the 12th century, when a William de Wedderburn was mentioned in a charter granted by King William the Lion of Scotland. The name appears in various spellings throughout historical records, such as Wedderburne, Wedderbrun, and Wetherbyrne.

In the 13th century, a Sir David de Wederburn was a prominent figure and is mentioned in several charters and records of the time. He held lands in Berwickshire and was a vassal of the Earl of Dunbar.

The Wedderburn family had a long and distinguished history in Scotland, with several members holding important positions in the Scottish government and military. One notable figure was Sir Peter Wedderburn (1558-1628), who served as Lord Clerk Register of Scotland and was a member of the Privy Council.

Another prominent member of the family was Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl of Rosslyn (1733-1805), a Scottish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1793 to 1801. He was instrumental in the passage of several important legal reforms during his tenure.

In the literary world, James Wedderburn (1495-1553) was a Scottish poet and reformer who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. He is best known for his translation of several of Martin Luther's works into Scots.

The name Wedderburn has also been associated with several notable figures in the military. Sir John Wedderburn (1599-1668) was a Scottish soldier and commander who served in the Thirty Years' War and the English Civil War. He was knighted for his service to King Charles I.

While the surname Wedderburn is primarily associated with Scotland, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom and abroad, likely due to migration and the dispersal of family members over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wedderburn

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

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

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

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