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

Wetherell, 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 Wetherell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wetherell in America

Wetherell is the 14342nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wetherell surname appeared 2,086 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 Wetherell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wetherell 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 Wetherell

The surname Wetherell originates from England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wether" (a castrated ram) and "hyll" (a hill), suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near a hill where wethers grazed.

The name is thought to have originated in the county of Devon, where various spellings such as Wetherhill, Wetherall, and Wetherell were found in historical records. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a William de Wetherhill from Devon.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Wetherell, but there are entries for places that may have contributed to its formation, such as Wetherhill in Devon and Wetherall in Cumbria.

Notable individuals with the surname Wetherell throughout history include:

1. Sir Charles Wetherell (1770-1846), an English lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General and was involved in several high-profile trials, including the Queen Caroline Affair.

2. John Wetherell (c. 1578-1623), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Briefe Apologie for the Anabaptists" in 1615.

3. Elizabeth Wetherell (1766-1825), an English novelist and playwright, best known for her novel "The Absentee" published in 1812.

4. Thomas Wetherell (c. 1580-1664), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "The New Covenant Opened" in 1657.

5. Edmund Wetherell (c. 1570-1626), an English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "A Briefe Apologie for the Leaving of the Brownists" published in 1611.

While the surname Wetherell has its roots in Devon, it has since spread to other parts of England and beyond, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wetherell

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

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

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

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