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

Witherspoon, 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 Witherspoon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Witherspoon in America

Witherspoon is the 2736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Witherspoon surname appeared 13,171 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 Witherspoon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Witherspoon 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 Witherspoon

The surname Witherspoon has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wider" meaning "against" and "spoon" referring to a wooded area or forest, suggesting a possible connection to someone who lived near or worked in a forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Witherspoon can be found in the parish records of Leyburn, Yorkshire, in 1596, where a John Witherspoon was listed. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of County Durham in 1666, indicating its presence in the north of England during that period.

While the Witherspoon surname does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, it is likely that the name evolved from earlier place names or descriptive surnames related to the individual's occupation or location.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the Witherspoon surname is John Witherspoon (1723-1794), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. He served as the president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) from 1768 until his death.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Witherspoon (1781-1853), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senator from South Carolina from 1819 to 1825.

In the literary world, John Witherspoon (1776-1854), a Scottish poet and clergyman, is remembered for his work "The Church of Scotland: A Poem." He was born in Paisley, Scotland, and served as the minister of the Laigh Kirk in Paisley from 1810 until his death.

The surname Witherspoon can also be found in the military records of the American Civil War, with individuals such as William Witherspoon (1836-1862), who served as a Union Army officer and was killed in action during the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.

Thomas Witherspoon (1781-1853), mentioned earlier, had a son named John Witherspoon (1809-1868), who followed in his father's footsteps and pursued a career in law and politics, serving as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

These examples illustrate the widespread presence of the Witherspoon surname throughout history, spanning various professions and geographical locations, but with a common English origin and evolution over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Witherspoon

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

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

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

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