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

Westman, 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 Westman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westman in America

Westman is the 11257th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westman surname appeared 2,808 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 Westman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westman 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 Westman

The surname Westman originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "west" and "mann," meaning "a man from the west." It was a locational name given to someone who lived west of a particular town, village, or landmark.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273. One notable example is John Westman, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Placita de Quo Warranto records of 1292, where Robert Westman was listed as a landowner in Norfolk. During this period, the surname was also found in various spellings, including Westeman and Westemon.

As the name spread across England, it became associated with several place names, such as Westmantown in Yorkshire and Westmanscote in Gloucestershire. These place names likely contributed to the adoption of the surname by families residing in those areas.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Westman surname was Sir John Westman, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. His descendants continued to use the surname and held prominent positions in various parts of England.

In the 16th century, the surname gained further recognition with the birth of Thomas Westman (1522-1592), an English theologian and Protestant reformer. He was a prominent figure during the Reformation and played a significant role in the translation of the Geneva Bible.

Another notable individual with the Westman surname was Sir John Westman (1632-1705), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London. He donated funds for the construction of several churches and supported various charitable causes.

During the 17th century, the Westman family also established itself in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded individuals was William Westman, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later settled in Maryland.

In the 19th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Charles Westman (1827-1892), a Swedish-American inventor and engineer. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the modern sewing machine and other innovative designs.

Throughout its history, the Westman surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobles, clergy, merchants, and artisans, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westman

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

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

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

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