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

Westfall, 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 Westfall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westfall in America

Westfall is the 2758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westfall surname appeared 13,079 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Westfall.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westfall 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 Westfall

The surname Westfall is of English origin, deriving from a locational name indicating someone who hailed from a western slope or hillside. It is composed of the Old English elements 'west' meaning west and 'fall' meaning a slope or hillside.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Westuuelle' in Cambridgeshire. This early spelling variation highlights the locational roots of the surname.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its more recognizable form, with records showing instances such as Roger de Westwelle in Somerset in 1275 and William de Westfale in Yorkshire in 1297.

Westfall became a prominent name in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties. Some notable bearers of the name include John Westfall, a cloth merchant from York who lived in the late 15th century, and Thomas Westfall, a landowner in Lancashire during the 16th century.

As the name spread across England, it also made its way to Scotland and Ireland. One of the earliest recorded instances in Scotland is that of Robert Westfall, a merchant in Edinburgh in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Westfall surname gained prominence in Ireland, particularly in County Antrim. One notable bearer was John Westfall, a Protestant landowner who settled in the region during the Plantation of Ulster in the early 1600s.

As people began migrating to the American colonies in the 18th century, the Westfall name traveled across the Atlantic. One of the earliest recorded instances in America is that of William Westfall, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1738 from County Antrim, Ireland.

Throughout history, the Westfall surname has been associated with various notable figures. These include John Westfall (1616-1688), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Boughton Malherbe in Kent, and Jacob Westfall (1720-1799), a pioneer and early settler in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Other notable bearers of the Westfall name include Robert Westfall (1808-1870), an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and John Westfall (1833-1905), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westfall

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

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

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

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