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

Williamston, 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 Williamston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Williamston in America

Williamston is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Williamston surname appeared 145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Williamston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Williamston 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 Williamston

The surname Williamston likely originates from England, dating back to medieval times. The name is a toponymic surname, signifying it is derived from a place name. The root of the surname is believed to be linked to the personal name William, which is of Germanic origin, composed of the elements "wil" meaning desire or will, and "helm" meaning helmet or protection. The suffix "ston" is a common Anglo-Saxon term meaning "stone" or "settlement," indicating a location associated with someone named William.

Williamston likely emerged as a surname after the Norman Conquest of 1066 when many Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by Norman ones, with the name William becoming widespread across England. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not specifically mention the surname Williamston, but it does record numerous forms of the name William and various settlements associated with it.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Williamston appears in the late 13th century. A notable reference is found in the poll tax records of Yorkshire in 1379, where a John Williamston is listed. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time, and was likely associated with a particular location or family lineage.

Another early reference comes from the records of Westmorland in the early 15th century, where a Richard Williamston is noted as a landholder in 1412. These records indicate that the surname was not confined to one region but was instead dispersed across various parts of England.

In the 16th century, one of the notable people bearing the surname was Thomas Williamston, an English clergyman born in 1510 and who died in 1570. He was known for his sermons and contributions to theological discussions of his time. His presence in religious circles provides us a glimpse into the reach and influence of families bearing this surname.

A century later, Sir Edward Williamston, born in 1605, served as a notable figure in the English government. He was a member of the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644. His political career exemplified the surname's association with prominent and influential circles during this period.

In the 18th century, the name appears again with John Williamston, an influential merchant based in Bristol, born in 1725 and active until his death in 1784. His merchant activities included trade across the Atlantic, reflecting the economic expansion and development linked to surnames like Williamston during the Georgian era.

By the 19th century, the surname had taken root in the United States as well, largely due to emigration. One of the notable American bearers of the name was Matthew Williamston, born in 1802, who became known for his work in agricultural innovation in the state of Virginia. His contributions to farming techniques had a lasting impact on agricultural practices in the region.

Through these historical references and notable figures, it is evident that the surname Williamston has traversed centuries, adapting and evolving with the socio-economic and cultural developments of each era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Williamston

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!