Waite
From a French surname meaning "watchman" or "sentinel."
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Waite. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Waite today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Waite births was 1920 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Waite. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Waite. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1920
6 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1958 SSA rank
#4,489
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Waite: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Waite from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Waite remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Waite by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Waite during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Waite
The given name Waite has its origins in the Old English language, stemming from the word "waiten" which translates to "watchman" or "guard." This name emerged during the medieval period in England, and was particularly prevalent among families residing in rural areas or near fortified castles and towns.
During the Anglo-Saxon era, the name Waite was often bestowed upon individuals tasked with guarding settlements, fortifications, or strategic locations. These watchmen played a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of their communities, serving as sentinels against potential threats or invaders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waite can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical document mentions several individuals bearing the name, indicating its widespread use among the English population at that time.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Waite. One prominent example is Waite Hoyt (1899-1984), an American professional baseball player who achieved remarkable success as a pitcher for the New York Yankees and several other teams during the 1920s and 1930s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.
Another individual of historical significance is Waite Welles (1794-1875), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 12th Governor of Connecticut from 1842 to 1844. He was instrumental in establishing the state's public school system and promoting educational reforms.
In the realm of literature, Waite Phillips (1883-1964) was an American businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the oil industry in Oklahoma. He established the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, which houses an impressive collection of Native American art and artifacts.
Waite Hotchkiss (1919-1997) was an American physicist and inventor who made groundbreaking contributions to the field of nuclear physics. He co-invented the Hotchkiss-Burnside Machine Gun, a pioneering automatic weapon used during World War II.
Lastly, Waite Hoyt (1899-1984), mentioned earlier, stands out not only as a baseball legend but also as an influential figure in American sports history. His exceptional pitching skills and numerous accolades, including six World Series championships with the New York Yankees, have solidified his place among the greatest players of his era.
People
Waite + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Waite as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Waite: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Waite?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Waite going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Waite a common name?
We classify Waite as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Waite most popular?
The single biggest year for Waite was 1920, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Waite is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Waite in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Waite a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Waite in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Waite still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Waite in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Waite can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Waite?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.