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

Wortham, 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 Wortham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wortham in America

Wortham is the 6358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wortham surname appeared 5,358 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Wortham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wortham 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 Wortham

The surname Wortham is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "worð" meaning "enclosure" or "homestead," and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village." This suggests that the name originated from a place name referring to a homestead or village with an enclosure.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Worðham" and "Wurtham." These entries indicate that individuals with this surname likely resided in areas with similar place names during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name, such as "Wortham" and "Wortham," appearing in various regions of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Hampshire. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of the country over time.

One notable individual with this surname was John Wortham, a 16th-century English clergyman and academic. He was born in 1518 and served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1567 until his death in 1573.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Wortham, a 17th-century English politician and landowner. He was born in 1629 and served as a Member of Parliament for Thetford, Norfolk, from 1661 to 1679.

In the 18th century, Robert Wortham (1702-1786) was an English land surveyor and cartographer who gained recognition for his detailed maps of various counties in England.

The 19th century saw the rise of William Wortham (1828-1899), an English industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the Wortham Textile Mills in Lancashire and was known for his contributions to the local community.

Another notable individual was Louisa Wortham (1855-1932), an English educator and suffragist. She played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement and advocated for equal educational opportunities for women.

Throughout its history, the surname Wortham has been associated with various place names, such as Wortham in Suffolk, Wortham Green in Norfolk, and Wortham in Shropshire. These place names likely served as the origin of the surname for individuals who resided in or were associated with these locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wortham

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

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

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

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