Given name & surname · also Old English
Washington
“from the intelligent one's town”
Washington is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the intelligent one's town.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the intelligent one's town.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Old English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
Built from Old English *Hwæssa + -ing (“belonging to”) + tūn (“homestead, settlement”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Washington through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,644
- 2,644 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 60 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −51%
- Cooling
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 8 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 60 in 1921. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,345 as a first name in 2020; 172,075 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Washington’s family of names
In English usage, Washington has a diminutive in WASH. In English usage, Washington has a later derivative in 화성돈. In English usage, Washington has a related form in Washingten.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Washington has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Old English roots to each of them.
10 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Washington
- Washington IrvingAmerican writer, historian and diplomat (1783-1859)
- Sebastián AbreuUruguayan footballer and manager (born 1976)
- WashingtonBrazilian association football playerborn 1975
- Óscar TabárezUruguayan football manager and playerborn 1947
- Washington LuísPresident of Brazil from 1926 to 19301869–1957
- Washington AllstonAmerican artist (1779-1843)
- WashingtonBrazilian association football playerborn 1978
- WashingtonBrazilian association football playerborn 1975
- WashingtonBrazilian association football playerborn 1978
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Washington, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Wellington
“estate”
>99% boys
Welton
“from the town near the well”
>99% boys
Clifford
“from the ford near the cliff”
>99% boys
Walton
“from the walled town; from the stream town”
>99% boys
Wyman
“a fair-haired warrior”
>99% boys
Linton
“from the flax town”
>99% boys
Melton
“from the mill town”
>99% boys
Merton
“from the village near the pond” · “from the town near the lake”
>99% boys