2000
#5,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,626
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.09
Rare Last name
Westcott
From a place name meaning "west cottage" in Old English, likely referring to a person who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,160 Americans carry the last name Westcott. That puts it at #6,114 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,642 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Westcott surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Westcott with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,642
Census rank
#6,114
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,372 bearers of the surname Westcott in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6114th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Westcott, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Westcott
The surname Westcott has its origins in England, with its earliest known spellings emerging during the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "west" meaning "west" and "cot" meaning "cottage" or "dwelling." It likely originated as a locational surname, given to individuals residing in a westward-facing dwelling or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Westkote." This document, a census-like record commissioned by King Edward I, provides valuable insights into the prevalence and distribution of surnames during that era.
The Westcott surname has also been documented in various historical records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1524, which mentions a John Westcott. This surname may have been influenced by place names such as Westcott in Buckinghamshire or Westcott in Dorset, both of which existed during the medieval period.
A notable figure bearing the Westcott surname was Thomas Westcott (c. 1567-1637), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Bartholomew's Church in London. Another prominent individual was Brooke Westcott (1825-1901), an English bishop and biblical scholar who co-authored the Westcott and Hort text of the New Testament.
Other individuals of historical significance with the Westcott surname include Edward Noyes Westcott (1846-1898), an American historian and author, and William Wynn Westcott (1848-1925), a British occultist and co-founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
Lastly, Fanny Westcott (1875-1957) was a notable American stage actress who performed on Broadway and in various theatrical productions throughout the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Westcott
Among Census respondents with the surname Westcott, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Westcott bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Westcott surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 4,860
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 168
- Two or more races2.9% · 154
- Black or African American2.4% · 128
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Westcott
Westcott appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,626
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 440 places
2020
#6,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,372
-254 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,657 | 5,626 | 2.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,097 | 5,626 | 1.91 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 440 places |
| 2020 | #6,114 | 5,372 | 1.80 | -254 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 17 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Westcott surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,097 | #6,114 | -0.3% |
| Count | 5,626 | 5,372 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.80 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Westcott bearers went from 5,626 to 5,372 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,097 to #6,114.
FAQ
Westcott surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Westcott?
Name Census estimates that about 6,160 living Americans carry the surname Westcott. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,642 residents.
How common is Westcott?
Westcott ranks #6,114 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,372 people with the surname Westcott. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,160), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Westcott.
Has Westcott become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Westcott went from 5,626 recorded bearers to 5,372. That is a decrease of 254 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,097 to #6,114.
What does the Census say about the background of Westcott?
Among Census respondents with the surname Westcott, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Westcott in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (4,860 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Westcott appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Westcott (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Westcott mean?
From a place name meaning "west cottage" in Old English, likely referring to a person who lived there. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Westcott (1.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Westcott?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Westcott at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.