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

Withers, 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 Withers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Withers in America

Withers is the 3176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Withers surname appeared 11,381 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 Withers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Withers 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 Withers

The surname Withers is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "withre," meaning "to twist" or "to bend." It was initially an occupational surname given to those who worked with willow branches or other flexible materials, twisting and bending them to create baskets, fences, or other woven items.

The name Withers can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing individuals bearing this surname living in various parts of England, such as Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1273, when a Robert le Withers was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the surname Withers appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Withers was listed. During this time, variations in spelling were common, with the name being recorded as Wythers, Wythyrs, and Wytheres in different historical documents.

The Withers surname gained prominence in the 16th century, with notable individuals like John Withers (born in 1561), an English clergyman and author of the book "A Shorte Dictionary for Yonge Begynners." Another prominent figure was George Withers (1588-1667), an English poet and satirist known for his works such as "The Shepherds Hunting" and "Abuses Stript and Whipt."

In the 17th century, the name Withers was associated with several prominent figures, including Sir Thomas Withers (1613-1692), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. Another notable individual was William Withers (1635-1703), an English clergyman and author of the book "A Discourse concerning the Confusion of Languages at Babel."

During the 18th century, the Withers surname continued to gain recognition. One notable example is Reverend John Withers (1720-1794), an English clergyman and author of the book "A Vindication of the Doctrine of Scripture, and Embracing the Whole Economy of God Towards Man."

In the 19th century, William Bateman Withers (1805-1887) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Birmingham, including the Birmingham Town Hall and the Greek Revival-style Birmingham Central Library.

Throughout history, the Withers surname has been associated with various place names, such as Withers Field in Gloucestershire and Withers Clough in Yorkshire, reflecting the geographical distribution of the name across England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Withers

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

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

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

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