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

Westby, 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 Westby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westby in America

Westby is the 14706th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westby surname appeared 2,021 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Westby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westby 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 Westby

The surname Westby originated in England, specifically in the northern region of Yorkshire. It derives from the Old Norse words "vestr" meaning west and "by" meaning a town or village, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived in a western settlement or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Westby appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources ordered by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a place called "Westoby" in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Westeby, Westoby, and Westeby, reflecting regional variations and scribal inconsistencies in record-keeping. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Westby-with-Plumptons in Lancashire and Westby in Yorkshire.

One notable early bearer of the name was John de Westby, who lived in the 13th century and held lands in Lancashire. Another was William Westby, a prominent merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who lived in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Westby family settled in Ireland, where they became prominent landowners and politicians. One member of this branch was Ralph Westby, who served as a Member of Parliament for County Meath in the early 17th century.

Another notable figure was Thomas Westby, a Jesuit priest born in Lancashire in 1674. He played a significant role in the Catholic community during the turbulent times of the English Reformation.

In the 18th century, John Westby, born in 1737 in Yorkshire, was a prominent mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

Moving into the 19th century, George Westby, born in 1807 in Northumberland, was a renowned landscape painter and etcher, known for his depictions of rural English scenes.

While the surname Westby is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the northern regions of England, with branches spreading to other parts of the British Isles over the centuries. The name's origin reflects the settlement patterns and linguistic influences of the Anglo-Saxon and Norse populations that shaped the landscapes and communities of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westby

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

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

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

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