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

Westmoreland, 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 Westmoreland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westmoreland in America

Westmoreland is the 3430th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westmoreland surname appeared 10,399 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 Westmoreland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland

The surname Westmoreland is of English origin, derived from the place name Westmorland, which was an ancient county in the northwest of England. The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "west" and "mor", meaning "west" and "moor" respectively, referring to the western moorlands or uplands of the region.

The earliest recorded mention of the place name Westmorland dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Westmerielandesire". This indicates that the name was well-established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical documents with spellings such as "Westmerlande" and "Westmerland". One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Westmoreland was Sir Ralph de Westmerland, who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

During the medieval period, the Westmoreland family held significant influence and land in the county of the same name. One notable member was Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland (c. 1364 - 1425), who played a crucial role in the Wars of the Roses and was a close ally of King Henry IV.

Another prominent figure was Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland (1543 - 1601), who was involved in the Rising of the North, a rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I in 1569. He was eventually pardoned but lost much of his family's lands and influence.

In the 17th century, Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland (1602 - 1666), was a prominent English peer and Royalist during the English Civil War. He was known for his support of King Charles I and his opposition to Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces.

The name Westmoreland has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Westmorland County, Westmorland Dales, and the town of Westmorland in Cumbria. These places have contributed to the spread and recognition of the surname throughout the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westmoreland

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

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

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

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