The name itself is a name of origin and refers to
place names in England, such as
Washington, Tyne and Wear, from which the ancestors of George Washington are said to have come.[1]
The word became a surname in 1183 when
William de Hertburn took the name William de Wassyngtona.[2] In 1657, the name came to Virginia. It later gained prominence due to General (later president) George Washington. In addition to the genealogical origin and spread of the surname, it was also (as with
Abraham Lincoln and other persons associated with abolition of slavery in America) a favored assumed surname of freed slaves and thus a widely spread surname among the
black population of the US.
Washington as a male
given name is derived from the surname. It is particularly popular in the
United States and
South America, evoking the memory of George Washington.
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name or the same
family name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.
The name itself is a name of origin and refers to
place names in England, such as
Washington, Tyne and Wear, from which the ancestors of George Washington are said to have come.[1]
The word became a surname in 1183 when
William de Hertburn took the name William de Wassyngtona.[2] In 1657, the name came to Virginia. It later gained prominence due to General (later president) George Washington. In addition to the genealogical origin and spread of the surname, it was also (as with
Abraham Lincoln and other persons associated with abolition of slavery in America) a favored assumed surname of freed slaves and thus a widely spread surname among the
black population of the US.
Washington as a male
given name is derived from the surname. It is particularly popular in the
United States and
South America, evoking the memory of George Washington.
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name or the same
family name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.