Waites
A patronymic surname meaning “Waite’s son” or “descendant of Waite.”
The #8,635 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 81,078 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Waites is usually explained as a patronymic surname built from the medieval personal name Waite, with the final -s meaning “son of” or “belonging to.” Harrison explicitly treats it that way. The base name Waite is generally linked to an Old English or Old Norse word connected with watching or hunting, though older sources are not entirely consistent on the exact path.
History
The surname is found mainly in northern England, especially Yorkshire, which fits the broader regional distribution of many Waite/Wait-related names. Historical surname dictionaries and local name studies treat Waites as a variant of Waite rather than a completely separate origin. It has remained a relatively uncommon English surname, with later bearers also appearing in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname studies, Waites is often grouped with occupational or descriptive names connected to watching, guarding, or hunting.
From the historical record
“est appelg guet." WAITES, the Waite's (Son) : v. Wait(e. WAITHMAN (Eng. and Scand.) Hunter, Huntsman [Scot, and N.E. : O.E. wd'S- O.N. ueiS-r, the chase, hunting -1- manti] The cognate German surname is Weidmann. , ,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)