2000
#4,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,999
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.97
Rare Last name
Weed
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, pasture, or grassland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,599 Americans carry the last name Weed. That puts it at #4,580 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,860 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weed surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Weed with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,860
Census rank
#4,580
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,499 bearers of the surname Weed in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4580th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weed, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weed
The surname Weed has its roots in England, originating in the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "waed," which means "garment" or "clothing." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person involved in the textile trade or someone who made or sold clothing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Weed can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Wydo le Wede." This document was a census of landowners and their holdings, indicating that individuals bearing this surname were already established in medieval England.
The name Weed is also believed to have connections to various place names in England, such as Weedon in Buckinghamshire and Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire. These locations may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa.
In the 16th century, the Weed surname appeared in the records of the Parish of St. Dunstan in the East, London. One notable entry from 1577 mentions a certain John Weed, whose occupation is listed as a "clothworker," further solidifying the connection between the name and the textile industry.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Weed throughout history are:
1. Thomas Weed (1577-1643), an English colonist who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony and was one of the founders of the town of Amesbury.
2. Thurlow Weed (1797-1882), an influential American publisher and political leader who played a significant role in the formation of the Republican Party.
3. Mary Weed (1822-1912), an American educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and helped establish several schools and colleges.
4. Lewis Weed (1847-1923), an American physician and author who made significant contributions to the field of dermatology.
5. Charles Richmond Weed (1856-1952), an American architect known for his work on various educational and institutional buildings in New York City.
While the surname Weed may have humble beginnings related to the textile industry, it has since evolved and been associated with various professions and achievements throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weed
Among Census respondents with the surname Weed, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Weed bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Weed surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 6,679
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 274
- Two or more races3.4% · 254
- Black or African American2.2% · 166
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weed
Weed appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,442
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,987
-12 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.71
Rank movement Down 346 places
2020
#4,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,499
-488 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Down 138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,096 | 7,999 | 2.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,442 | 7,987 | 2.71 | -12 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 346 places |
| 2020 | #4,580 | 7,499 | 2.51 | -488 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 138 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Weed surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,442 | #4,580 | -3.1% |
| Count | 7,987 | 7,499 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.71 | 2.51 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weed bearers went from 7,987 to 7,499 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 138 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,442 to #4,580.
FAQ
Weed surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weed?
Name Census estimates that about 8,599 living Americans carry the surname Weed. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,860 residents.
How common is Weed?
Weed ranks #4,580 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,499 people with the surname Weed. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,599), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Weed.
Has Weed become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weed went from 7,987 recorded bearers to 7,499. That is a decrease of 488 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,442 to #4,580.
What does the Census say about the background of Weed?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weed, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Weed in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (6,679 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weed appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Weed (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Weed mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, pasture, or grassland. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Weed (2.51 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Weed?
Find out how many people have the surname Weed on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.