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

Welch, 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 Welch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Welch in America

Welch is the 284th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Welch surname appeared 108,987 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 37 people would have the surname Welch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Welch 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 Welch

The surname Welch is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "Wilisc" or "Wielisc," which referred to someone of Welsh or Celtic descent or a person from Wales. It is believed to have emerged in England during the early medieval period.

In the Domesday Book, a survey of England conducted in 1086, the name is recorded as "Waleis," a variant spelling of the surname. This suggests that individuals with this name were present in England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Roger le Waleys, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1196. Another notable figure from history was Sir Robert le Waleys, a Welsh military leader who played a significant role in the Welsh Wars of Independence against the English in the late 13th century.

The surname has also been associated with various place names in England and Wales, such as Welshpool in Powys, Wales, and Welsh Bicknor in Herefordshire, England. These place names likely influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Welch throughout history are:

1. John Welch (1570-1622), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and one of the founders of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.
2. Rose O'Neill Gwynne Welch (1851-1944), an American cartoonist and illustrator, best known for creating the Kewpie characters.
3. Raquel Welch (born 1940), an American actress and model, known for her roles in films like "One Million Years B.C." and "The Three Musketeers."
4. Jack Welch (1935-2020), an American business executive and author, who served as the CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001.
5. Vincent Welch (1923-2015), an American character actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.

The surname Welch has a rich history dating back to the early medieval period in England and Wales, reflecting the interactions between Anglo-Saxon and Celtic populations. Its variations and associations with place names provide insights into the geographical distribution and evolution of the name over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Welch

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

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

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

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