2000
#11,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,630
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Weekes
Derived from a nickname for someone with a cheerful disposition or born on a Sunday.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,499 Americans carry the last name Weekes. That puts it at #10,072 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,958 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weekes 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 Weekes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,958
Census rank
#10,072
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,051 bearers of the surname Weekes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10072nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weekes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.0%. The next largest groups are White (39.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weekes
The surname Weekes is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "wic," meaning a dwelling or a small village. This name was likely given to someone who lived in a small settlement or hamlet.
In the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, the name appears as "Wiche" and "Wike." These early spellings suggest that the surname Weekes evolved from these Old English forms over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Weekes can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a John atte Wike is listed. The use of the preposition "atte" before the placename indicates that the surname was initially a locational name, referring to a person's place of origin or residence.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Weekes was primarily concentrated in the southern counties of England, particularly in Sussex, Hampshire, and Dorset. Notable individuals from this period include Sir Thomas Weekes (c. 1260-1335), a prominent landowner and knight who served under King Edward I and King Edward II.
In the 16th century, the surname Weekes can be found in various records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1557, which mentions a Robert Weekes. Another notable figure from this period is Richard Weekes (c. 1510-1578), a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions.
The 17th century saw the surname Weekes spread to other parts of England, including the Midlands and the North. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Weekes (1623-1700), a wealthy merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1693.
In the 18th century, the surname Weekes continued to be prominent in various parts of England. Samuel Weekes (1733-1804) was a notable English Baptist minister and author, known for his works on theology and religious history.
During the 19th century, the surname Weekes also found its way to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada and Australia. One notable figure from this period was Sir John Weekes (1834-1912), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weekes
Among Census respondents with the surname Weekes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.0%. The next largest groups are White (39.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Weekes 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 Weekes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.0% · 1,556
- White39.0% · 1,190
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 156
- Two or more races4.1% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weekes
Weekes 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
#10,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,070
+440 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 619 places
2020
#10,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,051
-19 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,087 | 2,630 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,468 | 3,070 | 1.04 | +440 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 619 places |
| 2020 | #10,072 | 3,051 | 1.02 | -19 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 396 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 Weekes 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 | #10,468 | #10,072 | 3.8% |
| Count | 3,070 | 3,051 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 1.02 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weekes bearers went from 3,070 to 3,051 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 396 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,468 to #10,072.
FAQ
Weekes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weekes?
Name Census estimates that about 3,499 living Americans carry the surname Weekes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,958 residents.
How common is Weekes?
Weekes ranks #10,072 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,051 people with the surname Weekes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,499), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Weekes.
Has Weekes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weekes went from 3,070 recorded bearers to 3,051. That is a decrease of 19 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,468 to #10,072.
What does the Census say about the background of Weekes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weekes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.0%. The next largest groups are White (39.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Weekes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.0% (1,556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weekes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (51.0%), White (39.0%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Weekes (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 Weekes mean?
Derived from a nickname for someone with a cheerful disposition or born on a Sunday. 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 Weekes (1.02 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 many Americans have the surname Weekes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.