Washington (/ˈwɒʃɪŋtən/) is a male given name and a surname. It most frequently refers to George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States of America.
Further information: Washington, Tyne and Wear § Name |
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.
Origin | |
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Meaning | Derived from the English place name |
Region of origin | England |