Surname Waste - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Waste: What does the surname Waste mean?
The surname Waste is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from an ancient English word "waeste" which means "waste or barren land". This surname originated as a topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of barren or unproductive land. Like many old surnames, Waste might also be locational, denoting someone who originated from a place called Waste. Over the centuries, the spelling and pronunciation may have evolved, but the name has remained in circulation. Surnames like Waste often provide insight into an individual's ancestors' living conditions, occupations, or geographic locations. However, it's essential to remember that surnames have diverse roots and might not always carry an evident meaning. DNA analysis can offer a more accurate heritage understanding.
Order DNA origin analysisWaste: Where does the name Waste come from?
The last name Waste is most concentrated in the United States, particularly in the New England region. New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts all have sizable populations of people with the last name Waste, suggesting a long and deep history of people bearing this surname in the region. For example, in New Hampshire, more than 5,000 people have the Waste surname in 2020. This means around 1 in every 2,200 people living in New Hampshire have the last name Waste.
The Waste surname has origins in Old English, with "wast" likely to have been an occupational term describing someone who worked in a mine or waste area. Increased immigration during the 19th and 20th centuries likely led to increased population numbers bearing the Waste name in the United States, especially in the New England region.
Outside of the New England region, Waste is moderately common in California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, and Florida. In these states, Waste is the 8th - 23rd most common surname today.
Despite its frequency, Waste remains a relatively uncommon surname today. The genealogy site familysearch.org estimates that only 0.017 percent of the world population has the last name Waste. For reference, Smith is the most common last name in the world, making up 0.8 percent of the human population.
Overall, Waste is most common in the New England region of the United States, but can be found in smaller numbers throughout the country and around the world.
Variations of the surname Waste
The surname Waste is derived from the Middle English term "wast, waest," which means "deserted, uncultivated land," and is likely a topographical surname for someone who lived near or on a waste. Variants of the surname Waste include Waist, Waisted, Wast, Waistell, Waistel, Waistell, Waister, Weste, Waster, Wastell, Wastel, and Wastell.
Another variation on the surname Waste is Waesco, which is likely derived from the German surname Wasserkuppe, which translates to "water cup." Other possible spellings of this name include Waisko, Wassco, Watco, Waisco, Waeske, Waeske, Waeskeig, and Waesed.
Other spellings of the surname Waste include Weste, Waite, Waites, Waight, Wayt, Waiet, Waie, Waitt, Wate, Weat, Wyat, Weat, and Weet. In some cases, the spelling of the surname Waste may have been changed over time based on various regional languages and dialects in which the surname was spoken. For example, some spellings of Waste may be of Irish origin such as Waight, Waite, Waites, and Waiet.
Variants of the Waste surname may also be found in other countries, such as Scotland (Wast, Weste, Waite), France (Waise, Waesco, Waisko, Waisco, Waeske, Waeskeig, Waesed), Portugal and Spain (Weste, Waite, Waites), and Austria (Wast, Weste, Waite). In some cases, the surname Waste may have been Anglicized or altered in a different country to accommodate the phonetic pronunciations of another language. For instance, variations of the Waste surname are often seen in Ireland such as Waight, Waite, Waites, and Waiet.
Finally, Waste can be a shortened version of a patronymic surname, such as Wastson (son of Wast), Wasteman (man of Wast), or Wastfield (field of Wast).
Overall, the surname Waste has a variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Waste
- Martin Waste: professional golfer from England
- Solon Waste: American publisher and banker
- Joseph Waste: Australian Rugby League player
- Willie Waste Sr.: American pro basketball player
- Louis Waste: 19th century English-born, Irish cricketer
- Nancy Waste: former Canadian ambassador to Mexico
- Ben Waste: English actor
- Venus Waste: Canadian entrepreneur
- John Waste: Australian politician
- Mark Waste: English singer-songwriter