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

Welsh, 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 Welsh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Welsh in America

Welsh is the 1166th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Welsh surname appeared 30,153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Welsh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Welsh 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 Welsh

The surname Welsh is a locational name derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "Wilisc" meaning "foreigner" or "Celt". It originally referred to settlers of Celtic or British origin living among the Anglo-Saxons in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is rooted in the Old English words "Walh" and "Wealh", which were used to describe the native Britons who spoke a Celtic language.

The earliest known record of the surname Welsh dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Waleis" and "Walensis". In the 12th century, the surname is found in various forms such as "le Waleys", "le Waleys", and "Walensis". These variations indicate the name's evolution from its Anglo-Saxon origins to its more modern form.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Welsh was Walter le Waleys, a landholder mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1194. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Welsh, a prominent Welsh soldier and knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was granted lands in Worcestershire in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the surname Welsh was associated with several prominent figures, including John Welsh (c. 1568-1622), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and religious reformer. He was a prominent supporter of the Presbyterian cause and was exiled from Scotland for his involvement in the Gowrie Conspiracy against King James VI.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Andrew Welsh (1758-1828), an American soldier and politician who served as a Captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He later became a prominent figure in Pennsylvania politics, serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

In the 19th century, the surname Welsh gained further recognition with the birth of the American author and humorist Edgar Welsh (1857-1945), best known for his short stories and works of satire. His works often explored themes of small-town life and human eccentricities.

Throughout its history, the surname Welsh has been closely linked to its Anglo-Saxon and Celtic origins, reflecting the cultural heritage and migrations of people within the British Isles and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Welsh

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

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

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

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