WATHEN
The surname Wathen is of English origin and is recorded as a locational name. It is derived from the Old English personal name Wada or Wada's and the element tun, meaning an enclosure or settlement. The name therefore signified Wada's settlement or the enclosure belonging to Wada, indicating that the initial bearers of the name most likely came from a place named Wathen or lived near a settlement associated with that personal name.
Early documentary evidence for the name appears in medieval records. The Coucher Book of Furness Abbey, dated 1210, records a place name as Wattintundelan and a later entry in 1211 lists it as Wathenthendelau. These early forms show a connection with the settlement known as Watendlath in Cumberland. Similarly, a site in Yorkshire, now called Walton, was first recorded by Bede in the eighth century as Vetadun, later as Waetadun and in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Watun. The etymological explanation is often given as a combination of the Old English words weta (wet) and dun (hill or slight rise), describing the topography of the location.
In another line of explanation, the surname is regarded as a topographical name deriving from the Old Norse word wath, meaning a ford or shallow crossing. In this view the name was given to individuals who lived near such a crossing or to those who came from a place called Wathen. The surname is most frequently found in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire, where the influence of Old Norse on place names was strongest.
There is also a documented Welsh connection to the name. Some instances of the surname Wathen are considered a variation of the Welsh personal name Watkin, which itself is a diminutive form of Wat. The name Watkin is the source of the surname Watkins, a common Welsh surname. Consequently, some bearers of the surname Wathen may trace their ancestry to families of Welsh origin, a point that is noted in records of the surname in the United Kingdom and the United States.
In contemporary times the surname Wathen is well established in both the United Kingdom and the United States. In Britain it is found mainly in Wales, but also occurs in parts of England and Northern Ireland. In the United States it is most common in the southern and eastern states, especially Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina. Other states with recognised occurrences include Arkansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Variants of the spelling of Wathen are numerous, reflecting the linguistic changes over the centuries. Common variations include Watham, Wathan, Waten, Wadding, Waddington, Watson, Watkin, Wathon, Vath, Wain, Wahn, Waghen, Woon, Wambold, Wombo, Wettner, Whyten, Whitington, Wedon, and Weddon. Related surnames of the same etymological origin include Waye, Westen, Witham, Wintern, Winton, Withem, Whiton, Whittington, Wylie, Wyes, Wynn, and Wisthen.
Typical given names associated with the Wathen surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- Craig
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Philip
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
Female
- Emma
- Gina
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Patricia
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Wathen in...
Braille
⠺⠁⠞⠓⠑⠝
Morse
.--.--.....-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 764 people named Wathen in the UK. That makes it roughly the 9,087th most common surname in Britain. Around 12 in a million people in Britain are named Wathen.
Famous people named Wathen
- Arthur Wathen - Cricketer (1841 to 1937)
- William Wathen - Cricketer (1836 to 1913)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.