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

Westgate, 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 Westgate surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westgate in America

Westgate is the 15363rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westgate surname appeared 1,909 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 Westgate.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westgate 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 Westgate

The surname Westgate is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "west" and "geat," meaning a gate or entrance on the western side of a town or village. It is considered a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name likely resided near or by a western gate or entrance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Westgate can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, where a Richard de Westgate is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

During the medieval period, many individuals adopted surnames based on their place of residence, occupation, or physical characteristics. The Westgate surname falls into the category of locational surnames, which were particularly common in England.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with the word "Westgate" in their names, such as Westgate in Cambridgeshire and Westgate in Sussex.

One notable figure bearing the Westgate surname was Sir Thomas Westgate (c. 1456–1508), an English diplomat and member of the Privy Council during the reign of Henry VII. He served as the ambassador to the Netherlands and played a crucial role in negotiating the marriage between Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon.

Another individual of historical significance was Jeremiah Westgate (1650–1720), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to America and served as the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Newport, Rhode Island, from 1679 until his death.

In the literary realm, Thomas Westgate (1815–1888) was an English writer and journalist who contributed to various publications, including the Illustrated London News and the Cornhill Magazine.

Robert Westgate (1876–1958) was a British Olympic athlete who competed in the 1908 London Olympics, where he won a silver medal in the high jump event.

Lastly, Sir John Westgate (1905–1987) was a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1967, during a crucial period of the Cold War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westgate

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

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

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

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