2000
#1,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,588
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.89
Uncommon Last name
Weir
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a weir or dam on a river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,091 Americans carry the last name Weir. That puts it at #1,917 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,251 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weir surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Weir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,251
Census rank
#1,917
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,392 bearers of the surname Weir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1917th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weir, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weir
The surname WEIR is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "wer" which means a dam or barrier across a river. The name likely originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a weir or dam.
In the early medieval period, the surname WEIR emerged in various parts of England, particularly in areas near rivers, streams, and waterways. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries in various county records and charters.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname WEIR. However, it does mention several place names that incorporate the word "wer," indicating the prevalence of this topographic term in that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname WEIR was John atte Were, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. This spelling variation reflects the common practice of using prepositions like "atte" (at the) before surnames in medieval times.
Another notable figure was Sir William de la Wyre, a knight from Lancashire who was active during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. The prefix "de la" indicated his connection to a specific place, likely a location with a weir or dam.
In the 15th century, the surname WEIR appeared in various records, including those of Thomas Weir, a merchant from Bristol, and John Weyr, a landowner in Somerset mentioned in the Feudal Aids of 1428.
During the 16th century, the surname WEIR gained prominence with individuals like Robert Weir, a Scottish mathematician and scholar born in 1548. He made significant contributions to the field of navigation and taught at the University of St. Andrews.
Another notable figure was John Weir, a Scottish minister and religious reformer born in 1579. He played a crucial role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland and was known for his fiery sermons and writings.
In the 17th century, the name WEIR continued to be prominent, with individuals like Robert Weir, a Scottish poet and playwright born in 1637. His works, including the tragedy "The Persecution of the Marquis of Argyll," reflected the tumultuous political and religious climate of that era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weir
Among Census respondents with the surname Weir, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Weir bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Weir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 15,431
- Black or African American7.6% · 1,406
- Two or more races3.7% · 683
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 669
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 143
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weir
Weir appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,881
+293 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 6.40
Rank movement Down 136 places
2020
#1,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,392
-489 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 6.15
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,767 | 18,588 | 6.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,903 | 18,881 | 6.40 | +293 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 136 places |
| 2020 | #1,917 | 18,392 | 6.15 | -489 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 14 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Weir surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,903 | #1,917 | -0.7% |
| Count | 18,881 | 18,392 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 6.40 | 6.15 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weir bearers went from 18,881 to 18,392 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,903 to #1,917.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Weir
FAQ
Weir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weir?
Name Census estimates that about 21,091 living Americans carry the surname Weir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,251 residents.
How common is Weir?
Weir ranks #1,917 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,392 people with the surname Weir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,091), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Weir.
Has Weir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weir went from 18,881 recorded bearers to 18,392. That is a decrease of 489 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,903 to #1,917.
What does the Census say about the background of Weir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weir, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Weir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (15,431 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (7.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Weir (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Weir mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a weir or dam on a river. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Weir (6.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Weir?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Weir, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.