Explore the Family Name Westgate

The meaning of Westgate

English: habitational name from minor places so called in Durham, Kent, Northumberland, or Wiltshire, the evidence being strongest for Kent, each of which are named from Middle English west ‘west’ + gate ‘gate’, or, in northern and eastern areas, ‘street’ (from Old Norse gata).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Westgate in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Westgate slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 14,570 in popularity and this dropped by 5.44% to rank 15,363 in 2010. However, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname marginally increased by 1.87% over the same period, rising from 1,874 in 2000 to 1,909 in 2010. The proportion of individuals with the Westgate name per 100,000 also declined slightly, by about 5.8%.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#14,570	#15,363	-5.44%
Count	1,874	1,909	1.87%
Proportion per 100k	0.69	0.65	-5.8%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Westgate

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Westgate surname. Over the decade from 2000 to 2010, the majority of people with the Westgate surname identified as White, although the percentage slightly fell from 96.85% to 96.28%. Meanwhile, there was a significant increase in the proportion identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, with growth rates of 46.51% and 79.69% respectively. The proportion identifying with two or more races saw a decrease of 24.86%, while no individuals identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	96.85%	96.28%	-0.59%
Two or More Races	1.81%	1.36%	-24.86%
Hispanic	0.64%	1.15%	79.69%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.43%	0.63%	46.51%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%