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

Worthen, 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 Worthen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Worthen in America

Worthen is the 7888th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Worthen surname appeared 4,197 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 Worthen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Worthen 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 Worthen

The surname Worthen is of English origin, derived from the place name Worthen, a small village in Shropshire, England. This place name is thought to originate from the Old English words "worð" meaning an enclosed homestead or farm, and "henn" meaning a hill or rising ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Worthen can be found in the Shropshire Feet of Fines from the year 1211, which mentions a Richard de Worthyn. The Hundred Rolls of 1275 also contain references to individuals with the surname Worthen, such as William de Worthyn and John de Worthyn, both residing in the county of Shropshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, which lists a Johannes Worthyn. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also mention a Thomas Worthyn.

During the 16th century, the surname Worthen began to spread beyond its place of origin in Shropshire. One notable individual from this time period was John Worthen, a merchant from London, who was born around 1530 and played a role in the English Reformation.

In the 17th century, the Worthen surname found its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Ezekiel Worthen, who was born in England in 1628 and later settled in Amesbury, Massachusetts.

Other notable individuals with the surname Worthen include:

1. Sir William Worthen (1776-1849), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Barbados from 1832 to 1837.

2. Thomas Worthen (1807-1884), an American politician and lawyer who served as the 28th Governor of New Hampshire from 1859 to 1863.

3. John Worthen (1820-1902), an American theologian and educator who served as the president of Wofford College in South Carolina from 1854 to 1859.

4. Amos Henry Worthen (1813-1888), an American geologist and paleontologist who served as the State Geologist of Illinois from 1858 to 1888.

5. Ethel Worthen (1888-1976), an American writer and journalist who was known for her work on women's rights and social issues.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Worthen

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

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

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

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