2000
#5,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,717
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.12
Rare Last name
Worsham
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "Wor's homestead" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,111 Americans carry the last name Worsham. That puts it at #6,160 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,088 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Worsham 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.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,088
Census rank
#6,160
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,329 bearers of the surname Worsham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6160th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Worsham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Worsham
The surname Worsham is of English origin, originating primarily in the county of Surrey, England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "wyrst" meaning a plant or herb, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a settlement near a herb garden or a place where herbs were grown.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Surrey from 1190, where it appears as "Wyrsteham." This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time, as it adapted to linguistic changes and local dialects.
During the medieval period, the name Worsham appeared in various historical documents, including the Feet of Fines for Surrey, dated 1271, which mentions a "John de Wyrsteham." This record provides evidence of the name's use as a locative surname, indicating a person's connection to a specific place.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of William Worsham (1504-1568), a notable English landowner and member of the gentry in Surrey. His descendants continued to play a significant role in the local community, with some members serving as members of Parliament and holding positions of influence.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the Worsham name was Robert Worsham (1675-1734), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stifford in Essex. His published works, including sermons and theological treatises, contributed to the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 18th century, the name Worsham appeared in various records related to land ownership and military service. One such record is the Muster Roll of the Surrey Militia in 1762, which lists a Thomas Worsham among its members.
As the name spread beyond its original locale, it also became associated with certain place names in other parts of England, such as Worsham Farm in Berkshire and Worsham Hill in Kent, further solidifying its connection to geographical locations.
Throughout history, the surname Worsham has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, clergymen, military personnel, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this historic English name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Worsham
Among Census respondents with the surname Worsham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Worsham 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 Worsham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.3% · 4,068
- Black or African American15.1% · 803
- Two or more races4.0% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 155
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Worsham
Worsham 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
#6,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,631
-86 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 516 places
2020
#6,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,329
-302 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,575 | 5,717 | 2.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,091 | 5,631 | 1.91 | -86 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 516 places |
| 2020 | #6,160 | 5,329 | 1.78 | -302 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 69 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 Worsham 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 | #6,091 | #6,160 | -1.1% |
| Count | 5,631 | 5,329 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.78 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Worsham bearers went from 5,631 to 5,329 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,091 to #6,160.
FAQ
Worsham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Worsham?
Name Census estimates that about 6,111 living Americans carry the surname Worsham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,088 residents.
How common is Worsham?
Worsham ranks #6,160 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,329 people with the surname Worsham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Worsham.
Has Worsham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Worsham went from 5,631 recorded bearers to 5,329. That is a decrease of 302 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,091 to #6,160.
What does the Census say about the background of Worsham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Worsham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Worsham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.3% (4,068 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Worsham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.3%), Black (15.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Worsham (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 Worsham mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "Wor's homestead" in Old English. 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 Worsham (1.78 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 Worsham?
See how many people are called Worsham on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.