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

West, 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 West surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of West in America

West is the 125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The West surname appeared 195,818 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 66 people would have the surname West.

We can also compare 2010 data for West 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 West

The surname West is an English locational surname that originated in the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old English word "west" which means "from the west". The name likely referred to someone who lived to the west of a town, village, or landmark.

The earliest recorded instance of the West surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Westa" and "Weste". This suggests the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name is found recorded as "Weste" in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This spelling variation highlights how surnames evolved over time before becoming standardized.

The West surname is also associated with various place names in England, such as West Bromwich, West Ham, and Westbury. These locations may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname by local residents.

Notable individuals with the surname West throughout history include Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr (1472-1554), who served as Lord Privy Seal under King Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Benjamin West (1738-1820), an Anglo-American painter and one of the founders of the Royal Academy in London.

Other famous bearers of the West surname include Nathanael West (1903-1940), an American author known for novels like "The Day of the Locust" and "Miss Lonelyhearts". Mary West (1737-1892) was a British novelist and playwright who wrote under the pen name "Mrs. West".

In the realm of science, Robert West (1888-1945) was a British chemist and inventor who developed the first modern aerosol product, while Edward West (1782-1828) was an English mathematician and scholar known for his work on algebraic equations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name West

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

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

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

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