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

Wescott, 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 Wescott surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wescott in America

Wescott is the 6516th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wescott surname appeared 5,205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Wescott.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wescott 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 Wescott

The surname Wescott is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "west" meaning west and "cot" meaning a small dwelling or cottage. It likely originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in a small house or cottage situated to the west of a main village or town.

The earliest recorded instances of the Wescott surname date back to the late 12th century in various counties across England, such as Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. The surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273 as "Westcote" and "Westcott."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with similar names, such as "Westcota" in Gloucestershire and "Westcote" in Oxfordshire, which may have contributed to the development of the Wescott surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Wescott surname was Richard de Westcote, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1204. Another early bearer of the name was John de Westcote, who was documented in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1292.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname began to appear in various spellings, including Westcott, Westcote, Wescott, and Wessecote, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Notable individuals with the Wescott surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Wescott (c. 1550-1624), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
2. Thomas Wescott (c. 1590-1660), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
3. Giles Wescott (1617-1688), an English settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of the town of Warwick, Rhode Island.
4. Mary Wescott (1765-1834), an English artist known for her portrait miniatures and landscapes.
5. Brooke Wescott (1839-1918), an American Civil War veteran and politician who served as the Governor of Florida from 1893 to 1897.

The surname Wescott has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Wescott Barton in Oxfordshire, Wescott Hill in Gloucestershire, and Wescott Farm in Buckinghamshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wescott

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

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

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

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