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

Williamson, 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 Williamson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Williamson in America

Williamson is the 267th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Williamson surname appeared 114,959 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 39 people would have the surname Williamson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Williamson 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 Williamson

The surname Williamson has its origins in England and Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name William, which itself comes from the Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will" or "desire" and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection". The addition of the suffix "-son" indicates "son of".

The earliest recorded instances of the name Williamson can be traced back to the late 12th century in various administrative and legal records. For example, it appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1196 as Willelmus filius Willelmi, essentially meaning "William, son of William". This demonstrates the transition from the patronymic form to the inherited surname.

The Williamson surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. While the specific spelling "Williamson" is not mentioned, there are references to individuals with the name William and its variants, such as Willelm and Willame, which would later evolve into the surname form.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Williamson became more widespread across England and Scotland, often associated with landowners and prominent families. One notable example is Sir Adam Williamson (c. 1280-1338), a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

In the 16th century, the Williamson surname gained further recognition with the exploits of John Williamson (c. 1520-1598), a sea captain and merchant adventurer from Northamptonshire, England. He played a pivotal role in establishing English trade with the Barbary Coast of North Africa.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir Joseph Williamson (1633-1701), an English politician and diplomat who served as Secretary of State under King Charles II and King James II. He was also a founding member of the Royal Society and a noted book collector.

During the 17th century, the Williamson surname was also associated with the colonization of the Americas. One such figure was Sir Jonathan Williamson (1629-1707), an English merchant and landowner who became one of the first Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina in the British colonies.

In the literary world, David Williamson (1869-1954), a Scottish writer and journalist, gained recognition for his works such as "Scots Streams" and "Edinburgensis", which explored the history and culture of Edinburgh.

These examples illustrate the rich history and widespread presence of the Williamson surname across various fields and regions throughout the centuries, reflecting its enduring legacy as a prominent English and Scottish surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Williamson

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

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

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

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