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

Weldon, 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 Weldon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weldon in America

Weldon is the 2481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weldon surname appeared 14,538 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Weldon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weldon 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 Weldon

The surname Weldon has its origins in England, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from a placename, referring to individuals who hailed from the town of Weldon in Northamptonshire.

The name Weldon is thought to be derived from the Old English words "well" and "dun," which together mean "hill by the spring" or "hill by the stream." This suggests that the town of Weldon was initially established near a natural water source, such as a spring or a stream, situated on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Weldon can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Welleden," reflecting the variation in spelling that was common during that era.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Weldon was John Weldon, who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1388. Another early bearer of the name was William Weldon, a 15th-century English clergyman who held the position of Archdeacon of Northampton from 1451 to 1471.

During the 16th century, the Weldon family gained prominence in Northamptonshire, with Sir Raphael Weldon (1561-1636) being a notable member. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King James I in 1616.

In the 17th century, Sir Anthony Weldon (1583-1648) was a prominent figure who gained recognition for his writing. He authored a significant work titled "The Court and Character of King James," which provided insights into the life and reign of King James I.

Another individual of note with the surname Weldon was Walter Weldon (1832-1885), a 19th-century English mathematician and writer. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and authored several influential works, including "The Theory of Chances" and "The Doctrine of Chances."

Throughout history, the surname Weldon has been associated with various places and localities, such as Weldon in Northamptonshire, Weldon in Worcestershire, and Weldon in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographical locations during the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weldon

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

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

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

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