Explore the Family Name Waterston
The meaning of Waterston
Scottish: variant of Watherston, a habitational name from an unidentified placename, presumably in the Scottish Borders. Black’s explanation that it is a form of Waterson cannot be correct, though in later centuries the forms of the two names may have become confused.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Waterston in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Waterston saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname dropped by 4.39 percent, moving from 85,643 in 2000 to 89,403 in 2010. Despite the drop in ranking, the actual count of people bearing the surname Waterston increased slightly by 1.97 percent, from 203 to 207. However, when considering the proportion of Waterstons per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of 12.5 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #85,643 | #89,403 | -4.39% |
| Count | 203 | 207 | 1.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.07 | -12.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Waterston
In terms of ethnic identity, the same Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Waterston are White. This demographic grew from 88.67 percent in 2000 to 91.30 percent in 2010, showing an increase of 2.97 percent. The Hispanic representation also remained relatively stable, only decreasing by 1.87 percent from 6.40 percent in 2000 to 6.28 percent in 2010. There were no recorded instances of the Waterston surname among the Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, or those identifying as two or more races in either 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.67% | 91.3% | 2.97% |
| Hispanic | 6.4% | 6.28% | -1.87% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |