2000
#10,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,731
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Westlake
A locational surname referring to someone who lived by the western lake or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,894 Americans carry the last name Westlake. That puts it at #11,856 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,436 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Westlake 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 Westlake with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,436
Census rank
#11,856
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,524 bearers of the surname Westlake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11856th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Westlake, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Westlake
The surname Westlake originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "west" and "lacu," meaning "west lake" or "western lake." This suggests that the name was likely first borne by someone who lived near a western lake or body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Westlake surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a William de Westlake is mentioned. The "de" prefix indicates that the name was originally a place name before becoming a hereditary surname.
Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Westlake, Westlacke, and Westlack. These variations were influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
The Westlake surname is also associated with several place names in England, including Westlake in Somerset and Westlake Farm in Gloucestershire. These locations may have been the original homesteads of families bearing the Westlake name.
Notable individuals with the Westlake surname throughout history include:
1. Thomas Westlake (1645-1725), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Torrington in Devon.
2. John Westlake (1828-1913), an English jurist and scholar of international law, who authored several influential works on the subject.
3. Nathaniel Westlake (1833-1921), an English architect who designed numerous buildings in London, including St. Stephen's Church and the Wandsworth Town Hall.
4. Mary Westlake (1858-1924), an English writer and suffragist who campaigned for women's rights and advocated for women's education.
5. Raymond Westlake (1898-1973), a British film director and screenwriter known for his work in the early days of British cinema, including the film "The Ghost Camera" (1933).
While census data and modern records may provide additional information on the prevalence and distribution of the Westlake surname, this report focuses on the historical origins, early recorded instances, and notable individuals bearing the name throughout its long history in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Westlake
Among Census respondents with the surname Westlake, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Westlake 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 Westlake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 2,240
- Two or more races3.7% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 29
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Westlake
Westlake 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
#11,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,694
-37 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 912 places
2020
#11,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,524
-170 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 219 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,725 | 2,731 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,637 | 2,694 | 0.91 | -37 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 912 places |
| 2020 | #11,856 | 2,524 | 0.84 | -170 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 219 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 Westlake 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 | #11,637 | #11,856 | -1.9% |
| Count | 2,694 | 2,524 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.84 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Westlake bearers went from 2,694 to 2,524 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 219 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,637 to #11,856.
FAQ
Westlake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Westlake?
Name Census estimates that about 2,894 living Americans carry the surname Westlake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,436 residents.
How common is Westlake?
Westlake ranks #11,856 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,524 people with the surname Westlake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,894), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Westlake.
Has Westlake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Westlake went from 2,694 recorded bearers to 2,524. That is a decrease of 170 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,637 to #11,856.
What does the Census say about the background of Westlake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Westlake, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Westlake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (2,240 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Westlake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Westlake (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 Westlake mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived by the western lake or stream. 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 Westlake (0.84 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 share the surname Westlake?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.