Explore the Family Name Welcome
The meaning of Welcome
1. English: habitational name from Welcombe (Devon) or Welcombe in Stratford (Warwickshire). The placenames derive from Old English wella ‘well, spring, stream’ + cumb ‘valley’. 2. English: nickname from Middle English welcum ‘welcome’ (Old English wilcume), applied to someone who habitually used this expression. 3. English: perhaps an altered form of the medieval name Welkempt, from Middle English wel kempt literally ‘well-combed’, extended to mean ‘neat, well-dressed’. 4. Altered form (translation into English) of French Bienvenu.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Welcome in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Welcome" has seen a modest increase in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 13,980th most popular and rose to 13,855th by 2010, marking a change of approximately 0.89%. The total count of individuals with this surname also grew from 1,981 in 2000 to 2,181 in 2010, indicating a 10.1% increase. Furthermore, the proportion of people named Welcome per 100,000 individuals slightly increased from 0.73 to 0.74 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,980 | #13,855 | 0.89% |
| Count | 1,981 | 2,181 | 10.1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.73 | 0.74 | 1.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Welcome
On the subject of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Welcome". Between 2000 and 2010, there was a significant increase in the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.35% to 0.50%) and Hispanic (from 3.63% to 5.64%). Those who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a considerable rise from 0.66% to 0.87%. However, those identifying as White decreased from 48.76% to 45.99%, and those reporting two or more races dropped marginally from 2.17% to 2.06%. The percentage of individuals identifying as Black remained relatively stable, with a slight increase from 44.42% to 44.93%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 48.76% | 45.99% | -5.68% |
| Black | 44.42% | 44.93% | 1.15% |
| Hispanic | 3.63% | 5.64% | 55.37% |
| Two or More Races | 2.17% | 2.06% | -5.07% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.87% | 31.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.5% | 42.86% |