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

Worden, 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 Worden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Worden in America

Worden is the 3880th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Worden surname appeared 9,139 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Worden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Worden 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 Worden

The surname Worden has its origins in England, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'worð', meaning an enclosed homestead or farm. The name was initially associated with people who lived in a particular enclosure or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1166, which mentions a person named Willelmus de Worden. The surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273, referring to a place called 'Worden'.

The name Worden is closely linked to various place names in England, such as Worden in Lancashire, Worden Green in Hertfordshire, and Worden Hall in Leyland. These place names likely originated from the Old English word 'worð', indicating that the surname was initially derived from the location where the family resided.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form of 'Wordene' in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332. This variation in spelling was common during that time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One notable individual bearing the surname Worden was John Worden, a 16th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Balliol College, Oxford, from 1598 to 1609.

Another significant figure was Peter Worden, born in 1596, who was an English colonist and one of the earliest settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is believed to have arrived in America in 1623 and played a crucial role in the early development of the colony.

In the 18th century, Robert Worden, born in 1718, was a prominent American merchant and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and was actively involved in the American Revolution.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Lort Worden, an American naval officer who played a significant role during the American Civil War. Born in 1818, he is best known for commanding the USS Monitor during the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862, one of the most famous naval battles in history.

Another notable figure from the 19th century was John Lorimer Worden, born in 1835, who was an American diplomat and politician. He served as the United States Minister to Bolivia and later as the Consul-General to Mexico City.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Worden

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

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

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

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