Washington (name)
Encyclopedia

Origin and dissemination

The name (ˈwɒʃɪŋtən) refers to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 (1732–1799), the first President of the United States of America.

The name itself is a name of origin and refers to place names
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...

 in England, such as Washington, Tyne and Wear
Washington, Tyne and Wear
Washington is a town in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically part of County Durham, it joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear...

, from which the ancestors of George Washington came from. Early references appear in Tyne and Wear in 1096 in Old English as Wasindone. The etymological origin is disputed. It has been interpreted as either Wasindone (people of the hill by the stream, 1096), or Wassyngtona (settlement of Wassa's people, 1183) (more)

The word became a surname in 1183 when William de Hertburn took the name William de Wassyngtona. In 1657 the name came to Virginia; from 1789 to 1797 George Washington was president. Since this time the given name spread throughout the USA as patriotic. In addition to a genealogical origin of the name, it is also (as with Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

 and other persons associated with abolition of slavery in America) a favored assumed name of freed slaves and thus a widely spread surname of their progeny in the black population of the USA.

The name appears also as a male given name, often as a second or third name in honor of George Washington.

Family name

The surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...

 historically derived from the English place name.
  • George Washington
    George Washington
    George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

     (1732–1799), American general and first president of the United States
    • George Washington (name)
      George Washington (name)
      George Washington was the Commander-in-Chief of Continental forces in the American Revolution and the first President of the United States after the war of independence.Many people have been named after him, including:...

      , homonyms

  • Augustine Washington
    Augustine Washington
    Augustine Washington was the father of general and president George Washington. He belonged to the Colony of Virginia's landed gentry and was a planter and slaveholder.-Family:...

     (1694–1743), Virginian planter, father of George Washington
  • Booker T. Washington
    Booker T. Washington
    Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...

     (1856–1915), American civil rights leader, educator and author
  • Bushrod Washington
    Bushrod Washington
    Bushrod Washington was a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice and the nephew of George Washington.Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and was the son of John Augustine Washington, brother of the first president. Bushrod attended Delamere, an academy administered by the Rev....

     (1762–1829), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • Claudell Washington
    Claudell Washington
    Claudell Washington is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Oakland Athletics , Texas Rangers , Chicago White Sox , New York Mets , Atlanta Braves , New York Yankees and California Angels...

     (born 1954), American baseball player
  • Craig Anthony Washington
    Craig Anthony Washington
    Craig Anthony Washington is a former American congressman representing Texas as a Democrat in the United States House of Representatives....

     (born 1941), American politician
  • Dennis Washington
    Dennis Washington
    Dennis R. Washington is a Montana-based industrialist and philanthropist who owns, or co-owns controlling interest in, a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies and, in Canada, another collection of companies known as the Washington Marine Group...

     (born 1934), American businessman
  • Denzel Washington
    Denzel Washington
    Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...

     (born 1954), American actor
  • Dinah Washington
    Dinah Washington
    Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...

     (1924–1963), American singer
  • Eric Washington
    Eric Washington
    Eric Maurice Washington is an American basketball player.He was selected in the 1997 NBA Draft as the 48th overall pick by the Orlando Magic, and appeared for the Denver Nuggets during two seasons, from 1997 to 1999...

     (born 1974), American basketball player
  • Fredi Washington
    Fredi Washington
    Fredericka Carolyn "Fredi" Washington was an accomplished dramatic film actress, most active in the 1920s- 1930s. Fredi was a self-proclaimed Black woman, who chose to be identified as such, and wished for others to do so as well...

     (1903–1994), American actress
  • Geno Washington
    Geno Washington
    Geno Washington is an American R&B singer who released five albums with The Ram Jam Band between 1966 and 1969, and eight solo albums beginning in 1976.-Early to late 1960s:...

     (born 1943), American singer
  • Grover Washington, Jr.
    Grover Washington, Jr.
    Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...

     (1943–1999), American jazz saxophonist
  • Harold Washington
    Harold Washington
    Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...

     (1922–1987), American politician
  • Henry Stephens Washington (born 1867), American geologist (see )
  • Herb Washington
    Herb Washington
    Herbert Lee Washington is a former world-class sprinter in the early 1970s who parlayed his speed into a brief Major League Baseball stint, and later became the owner/operator of numerous McDonald's restaurants and a minor-league professional hockey franchise and held a number of high-ranking...

     (born 1951), American sprinter and baseball player
  • Isaiah Washington
    Isaiah Washington
    Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...

     (born 1963), American actor
  • Jack Washington
    Jack Washington
    Ronald "Jack" Washington was an American jazz saxophonist, who was best known for his time in the Count Basie orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s.-Life and career:...

     (1910-1964), American jazz saxophonist
  • Joe Washington
    Joe Washington
    Joe Dan Washington, Jr is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons.-Early career:...

     (born 1953), American football player
  • John David Washington
    John David Washington
    John David Washington is an American football running back for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

     (born 1984), American football player
  • Justine Washington
    Justine Washington
    Justine "Baby" Washington is an American soul music vocalist.-Life and career:Washington was raised in Harlem, New York. In 1956, she joined the vocal group The Hearts, then became s a solo artist the following year. Washington had 16 rhythm and blues chart entries in 15 years, most of them during...

     (born 1940), American singer
  • Keith Washington
    Keith Washington
    Keith Washington is an American R&B vocalist from Detroit, Michigan who scored a hit single in the United States in 1991 with "Kissing You," which was also used as background music for a General Hospital on ABC...

     (born 1960), American singer
  • Kelley Washington
    Kelley Washington
    James Kelley Washington is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

     (born 1979), American football player
  • Kermit Washington
    Kermit Washington
    Kermit Alan Washington is an American former professional basketball player. Washington is best remembered for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977. The punch nearly killed Tomjanovich, and it resulted in severe medical problems that ultimately ended his...

     (born 1951), American basketball player
  • Kerry Washington
    Kerry Washington
    Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...

     (born 1977), American actress
  • Lawrence Washington (1602–1655), English rector, great-great-grandfather of George Washington
  • Lawrence Washington (1659–1698), Virginian planter, grandfather of George Washington
  • Lawrence Washington (1718–1752), Virginian soldier, half-brother of George Washington
  • Martha Washington
    Martha Washington
    Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...

     (1731–1802), American first lady, wife of George Washington
  • MaliVai Washington
    MaliVai Washington
    MaliVai "Mal" Washington is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He is best remembered for reaching the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1996.-Family:...

     (born 1969), American tennis player
  • Mashona Washington
    Mashona Washington
    Mashona Washington is a professional tennis player from the United States.Mashona's career high singles ranking is no. 50 which she reached on November 8, 2004, and her career high doubles ranking is no...

     (born 1976), American tennis player
  • Megan Washington
    Megan Washington
    -Studio albums:-Extended plays:-Singles:-External links:* *...

     (born 1986), Australian singer-songwriter
  • Ned Washington
    Ned Washington
    Ned Washington was an American lyricist.-Biography:Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962...

     (1901–1976), American lyricist
  • Rico Washington
    Rico Washington
    Enrico Aliceno Washington is a professional baseball infielder, currently playing for the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association. He has played in Major League Baseball for the St...

     (born 1978), American baseball player
  • Ron Washington
    Ron Washington
    Ronald Washington is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and the current manager of the Texas Rangers. Prior to managing the Rangers, Washington coached in the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics organizations.-Playing career:Washington was signed by the Kansas City Royals on July 17, 1970...

     (born 1952), American baseball manager and player
  • Sabrina Washington (born 1978), British singer-songwriter
  • Tyree Washington
    Tyree Washington
    Tyree Washington is a retired American sprinter.He attended both La Sierra High School and San Bernardino Valley College....

     (born 1976), American sprinter
  • U L Washington
    U L Washington
    U L Washington is a former Major League Baseball player from 1977 to 1987 for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also was the manager of Pittsburgh's minor team the Welland Pirates in 1989...

     (born 1953), American baseball player
  • Walter Washington
    Walter Washington
    Walter Edward Washington, was an American politician, the first home-rule mayor of the District of Columbia...

     (1915–2003), American politician
  • William Washington
    William Washington
    William Washington , was an officer of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, who held a final rank of Brigadier General in the newly created United States after the war...

     (1752–1810), American soldier
  • William D. Washington
    William D. Washington
    William D. Washington was an American painter and teacher of art. He is most famous for his painting The Burial of Latané, which became a symbol of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy in the years following the American Civil War, and for the work he did in establishing the fine arts program of the...

     (1833–1870), American painter
  • William Henry Washington
    William Henry Washington
    William Henry Washington was a Whig U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1841 and 1843.Born near Goldsboro, North Carolina, he graduated from Yale College in 1834, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1835. Washington practiced law in...

     (1813–1860), American politician

Given name

Washington as a male given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...

 is derived from the surname. It is particularly popular in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, evoking the memory of George Washington.
  • George Washington Bush
    George Washington Bush
    George Washington Bush was one of the first American settlers and the first black settler in what would later become the U.S. state of Washington.-Early life:...

     (1779–1863), American soldier and pioneer
  • George Washington Carver
    George Washington Carver
    George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....

     (1864–1943), American scientist

  • Washington Sebastián Abreu
    Sebastián Abreu
    Washington Sebastián Abreu Gallo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays with Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas in Brazil as a striker.Best known by his nickname El Loco , the prolific goalscorer – for club and country – played for more than 20 teams during his professional career, in six different...

     (born 1976), Uruguayan football player
  • Washington Abdala (born 1959), Uruguayan politician
  • Washington Beltrán Barbat
    Washington Beltrán Barbat
    Washington Beltrán Barbat was a Uruguayan political figure and journalist.-Background and career:Originally from Tacuarembó, Beltrán moved to Montevideo and became a lawyer and a prolific journalist and writer...

     (1885–1920), Uruguayan politician
  • Washington Beltrán
    Washington Beltrán
    Washington Beltrán Mullin was a Uruguayan political figure.-Background:A journalist by profession, and son of deputy Washington Beltrán Barbat, killed in 1920 in a duel with former Colorado President José Batlle y Ordóñez, Washington Beltrán was a prominent member of the Uruguayan National ...

     (1914–2003), Uruguayan politician, son of the former
  • Washington Bartlett
    Washington Bartlett
    Washington Montgomery Bartlett was the 20th Mayor of San Francisco, California from 1883–1887 and was California's first and to date only Jewish Governor of California.- Life and career :...

     (1824–1887), American politician
  • Washington Benavides
    Washington Benavides
    Washington Benavides is a Uruguayan poet and musician.-Writing career:During the 1950s he collaborated on the review Asir. In 1955 he published his first book, Tata Vizcacha, a satire of various personalities in his native city...

     (born 1930), Uruguayan poet and musician
  • Washington Carrasco (born 1941), Uruguayan popular musician
  • Washington Carrasco Fernández, Chilean minister
  • Washington Cataldi (1923-1996), Uruguayan football executive and politician
  • Washington Etchamendi (born 1921), Uruguayan football trainer
  • Washington Stecanela Cerqueira (born 1975), Brazilian football player
  • Washington Duke
    Washington Duke
    George Washington Duke was an American tobacco industrialist and philanthropist.-Biography:Duke was born in Orange County, North Carolina , to Taylor Duke and Dicey Jones...

     (1820–1905), American industrialist
  • Washington González (born 1955), Uruguayan footballer
  • Washington Irving
    Washington Irving
    Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...

     (1783–1859), American author
  • Washington Luna (1938-2009), Uruguayan singer
  • Washington Olivera
    Washington Olivera
    Washington Olivera is a coach and former footballer who played for clubs in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, the United States and El Salvador, as well as the Uruguay national football team....

     (born 1954), Uruguayan coach and former footballer
  • Washington Roebling
    Washington Roebling
    Washington Augustus Roebling was an American civil engineer best known for his work on the Brooklyn Bridge, which was initially designed by his father John A. Roebling.-Education and military service:...

     (1837–1926), American civil engineer
  • Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa
    Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa
    Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa was a Brazilian politician. His family was of Portuguese Romani descent. He was born in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, and moved to São Paulo, where he became a lawyer. Elected governor of São Paulo state in 1920 and president of Brazil in 1926, Washington Luís was the...

     (1869–1957), Brazilian politician
  • Washington César Santos
    Washington César Santos
    For another Brazilian football player named Washington , see Washington Stecanela Cerqueira.Washington César Santos is a former association footballer in striker role....

     (born 1960), Brazilian football player
  • Washington Silva (disambiguation), several people
    • Washington Silva (boxer), Brazilian boxer who participated in Olympics
  • Oscar Washington Tabárez (born 1947), manager of the Uruguayan national football team
  • Washington Tais
    Washington Tais
    Washington Eduardo Tais Videgaín is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for Danubio F.C. as a right defender.-Club career:Born in Montevideo, Tais' debuts in professional football were made with local giants C.A...

     (born 1972), Uruguayan footballer

See also

  • Washington
    Washington (disambiguation)
    Washington commonly refers to:* George Washington , military general and first President of the United States of America* Washington , a state on the Pacific coast of the United States of America...

    , other meanings including place names (in modern times, mostly named after George Washington)
  • All pages beginning with Washington
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