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

Worcester, 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 Worcester surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Worcester in America

Worcester is the 12897th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Worcester surname appeared 2,384 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 Worcester.

We can also compare 2010 data for Worcester 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 Worcester

The surname WORCESTER has its origins in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the place name Worcester, which comes from the Old English words "Wir" meaning "village" and "Cester" meaning "Roman fort or town." The name likely referred to the town of Worcester in Worcestershire, which was an important center in Anglo-Saxon times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname WORCESTER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Wirecestre" in this document, reflecting the Old English spelling.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named John of Worcester (c. 1190-1268) was a chronicler and monk at the Worcester Priory. His work, the "Chronicon ex Chronicis," is an important source for the history of that era.

Another prominent individual with the surname WORCESTER was William Worcester (c. 1415-c. 1482), an English antiquary and topographer who traveled extensively and made detailed notes on the places he visited. His work, "Itinerarium," provides valuable insights into the geography and architecture of 15th-century England.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Edward Worcester (c. 1601-1667), a Royalist soldier and inventor, is credited with developing one of the earliest steam-powered engines. He is also known for his work on hydraulic machinery.

In the 18th century, the WORCESTER name was associated with the family of the Marquesses of Worcester, who held significant land and titles in Worcestershire. One notable member was Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort (1629-1700), who was also known as the Marquess of Worcester.

The surname WORCESTER has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Worcester Park in Surrey and Worcester Priory in Worcestershire, reflecting the geographical origins of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Worcester

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

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

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

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