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

Wesby, 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 Wesby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wesby in America

Wesby is the 34427th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wesby surname appeared 658 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wesby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wesby 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 Wesby

The surname Wesby has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from an Old English place name, possibly from the words "wes" meaning west and "by" meaning a town or village, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have hailed from a western settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wesby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a certain Robert de Wesebi is mentioned. This document provides valuable insight into the historical presence of the name in the region.

During the 13th century, the name appears in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which document landowners and their holdings. A notable entry is that of William de Weseby, who held lands in Lincolnshire.

The Wesby surname has also been linked to the village of Weesby in Lincolnshire, which was recorded as Wessebi in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection suggests a potential origin for the name from this specific location.

Notable individuals with the surname Wesby throughout history include John Wesby, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich during the 15th century. Another figure was Thomas Wesby, who served as the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1546.

In the 17th century, the name appears in parish records, such as those of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where the baptism of Elizabeth Wesby is recorded in 1632. Additionally, the parish registers of St. Peter's Church in Liverpool mention the marriage of William Wesby and Ann Williamson in 1698.

During the 18th century, the Wesby surname gained further recognition with individuals like George Wesby, a notable painter and engraver who was born in Nottinghamshire in 1736 and whose works are still celebrated today.

The 19th century saw the rise of Samuel Wesby, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who made significant contributions to the local community through his charitable endeavors. He was born in 1812 and passed away in 1892.

While the surname Wesby has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Weseby, Wesbye, and Wesbie, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, reflecting the rich history and evolution of this name through the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wesby

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

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

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

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