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

Westwood, 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 Westwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westwood in America

Westwood is the 15639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westwood surname appeared 1,868 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 Westwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westwood 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 Westwood

The surname Westwood is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "west" and "wudu," meaning "west" and "wood" respectively. It was initially a locational name, given to those who lived near or in the western part of a forest or woodland area.

During the medieval period, the name Westwood first appeared in various records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and their properties across England. The earliest known bearer of the name was Robert de Westwode, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199.

As the name spread across England, variations in spelling emerged, including Westwoode, Westwode, and Westwould. These variations often reflected regional dialects or the preferences of local scribes who recorded the name.

One notable figure bearing the Westwood surname was John Westwood (1805-1893), an English entomologist and archaeologist. He made significant contributions to the study of insects and authored several important works, including "An Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects" (1839) and "Arcana Entomologica" (1845).

Another prominent individual was Sir John Westwood (1585-1659), an English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Brackley, Northamptonshire, and played an active role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Parliamentarian cause but later switching sides to the Royalists.

In the literary realm, Thomas Westwood (1814-1888), an English poet and writer, gained recognition for his works, including "Beads of Morning" (1854) and "The Unveiling: A Poem" (1855). He was also a respected scholar and held academic positions at various institutions.

Another notable figure was Sir George Westwood (1835-1924), a British civil engineer and contractor. He was instrumental in the construction of several important infrastructure projects, including the Mersey Railway Tunnel and the Blackwall Tunnel under the River Thames in London.

The surname Westwood has also been associated with several places across England, such as Westwood in Worcestershire, Westwood in Wiltshire, and Westwood in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from the same Old English roots as the surname, reflecting the presence of woodlands in the western parts of these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westwood

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

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

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

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