An English surname of Washington has some early spellings dating back to 1096 AD. One form was Wasindone which meant the people of the hill by the stream. Another spelling was Wassyngtona and Wessyngton, both which meant a settlement of Wassa’s people. Also Wossa in Old English means wheat sheaf. Also in Old English is the form ‘wascan’ which means washed and ‘dun’ which means rolling hills.

Spelling variations for Washington are Washinton and Washingtone.

The Scottish Perthshire county has a very large Washington population. Many areas in England and Wales have Washington families. Most are in the northern area centered around Yorkshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire and Cheshire.

Within the United States the Washington surname is concentrated in the southern states. It is in Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

Famous: Booker T. Washington (educator and civil rights leader), Isaiah Washington (actor), George Washington (U. S. President), Ron Washington (professional baseball player and manager), Denzel Washington (film actor), Eric Washington (professional basketball player) and Justine Washington (singer).