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

Westhead, 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 Westhead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westhead in America

Westhead is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westhead surname appeared 167 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Westhead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westhead 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 Westhead

The surname Westhead is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Westhead, which itself is composed of the Old English words "west" and "heafod," meaning "western headland."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Westhead surname can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1310, where it appears as "de Westhed." This suggests that the name was likely associated with a specific location or landholding in the region.

The Westhead surname is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, specifically in the village of Westhead near Ormskirk. The village's name is mentioned in historical records dating back to the 13th century, further reinforcing the connection between the place name and the surname.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to several places with similar names, such as "Westcheued" and "Westcheuit," which could be early variants of the Westhead name.

One notable individual bearing the Westhead surname was Robert Westhead (c. 1570-1644), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bristol from 1642 until his death. He played a significant role during the English Civil War, supporting the Royalist cause.

Another historical figure was Thomas Westhead (1799-1871), a British engineer and inventor who was influential in the development of early railway locomotives. He is credited with designing and building the "Novelty" locomotive, which competed in the Rainhill Trials of 1829.

In the realm of literature, Edward Westhead (1835-1899) was a notable English poet and writer known for his works on Lancashire dialect and culture. His collection of poems, "Bide a Wee, and Other Poems in the Lancashire Dialect," published in 1888, celebrated the language and traditions of his native region.

The Westhead surname has also been associated with the arts, as exemplified by John Westhead (1878-1949), a British painter and illustrator renowned for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in Lancashire.

Lastly, in the field of sports, Paul Westhead (born 1939) is a former American basketball coach who achieved success as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s, leading them to an NBA championship in 1980.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westhead

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

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

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

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