2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Weeding
An occupational surname relating to someone who engaged in manual labor involving removal of unwanted plants.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Weeding. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weeding 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 Weeding with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Weeding in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weeding, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weeding
The surname WEEDING is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first emerged during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "waedan," which means "to weed" or "to remove unwanted vegetation." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals whose primary tasks involved weeding gardens, fields, or other agricultural areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WEEDING surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a certain "Johannes Wydyng" is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence in the 14th century and its connection to the northern regions of England.
In the 16th century, the WEEDING surname appeared in various parish records and legal documents. For instance, in 1567, a William Weeding is listed as a landowner in the village of Clapham, Yorkshire. Additionally, the marriage of John Weeding and Elizabeth Browne was recorded in the parish registers of Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire, in 1593.
The WEEDING surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Sir Robert Weeding (1525-1598), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another individual of note is Thomas Weeding (1670-1743), a renowned architect and surveyor who contributed to the design of several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire.
Other individuals bearing the WEEDING surname include:
1. John Weeding (1640-1711), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Barnston, Essex.
2. Elizabeth Weeding (1748-1819), a British author and educator who published several works on grammar and literature.
3. George Weeding (1812-1879), a English industrialist and inventor who held patents for various agricultural implements.
4. William Weeding (1864-1932), a Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
5. Evelyn Weeding (1898-1987), an American artist known for her landscape paintings and portraits.
While the WEEDING surname may have originated from a humble occupational background, it has since been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including law, architecture, literature, politics, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weeding
Among Census respondents with the surname Weeding, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Weeding 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 Weeding surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Black or African American3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weeding
Weeding 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,615 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 14,615 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,787 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 Weeding 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 | #150,452 | #148,665 | 1.2% |
| Count | 109 | 111 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weeding bearers went from 109 to 111 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #148,665.
FAQ
Weeding surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weeding?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Weeding. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Weeding?
Weeding ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Weeding. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Weeding.
Has Weeding become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weeding went from 109 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Weeding?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weeding, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Weeding in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weeding appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Black (3.6%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Weeding (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 Weeding mean?
An occupational surname relating to someone who engaged in manual labor involving removal of unwanted plants. 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 Weeding (0.04 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 Weeding?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Weeding on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.