The Worth surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,713 people carried this name — #4,598 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 38,300 people counted. That is up 10% from 7,018 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Worth surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the worth’.

An early record he cites: Philip atte Worthe, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 829 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Worth was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Cheshire: 12 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 833. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cheshire 12
Lincolnshire 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

48 families named Worth, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 291 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 20
New York 11
New Hampshire 5
Pennsylvania 5
North Carolina 5
Maine 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 269 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Worth in American newspapers,
1847–1902.

Newspaper page from Hill's New-hampshire Patriot carrying the name Worth
Hill's New-hampshire Patriot 1847-05-13
Newspaper page from The Jennings Daily Record carrying the name Worth
The Jennings Daily Record 1902-11-07
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Worth
Daily Kennebec Journal 1880-11-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,561 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Worth in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2010s.

69,464 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Worth. The most, 10,179, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 24,406
Victoria 14,492
Queensland 11,628
Western Australia 7,593
South Australia 7,079
Tasmania 3,327
ACT (Canberra) 659
Northern Territory 114

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Worth.

Who carried it

People named Worth,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Worth d. 1730 · politician
  • Roger Worth d. 1564 · politician
  • John Worth d. 1688
  • William Worth d. 1745
  • Catherine Sinclair d. 1849
  • John Worth d. 1835

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Worth,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,301 records

1,301 records of the Worth name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 543
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 242
  • Other U.S. records 516
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John L. Worth

    Born 1926 in Illinois. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Sheridan; machine shop worker. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Camp Butler National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maria-Margarett Worth

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Esmeralda from Liverpool, aged 10; seamstress. From Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Roy Edward Worth

    Born 1946; from Indianapolis, Indiana. U.S. Army, helicopter pilot; killed in action 1968 in Phu Bon, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,301 records for Worth in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia386 records

386 records of the Worth name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 190
  • Tasmanian Names Index 68
  • Other Australian records 128
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Joseph Worth

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the William Metcalfe, sailing from Portsmouth in 1834. Native of Leeds, Yorkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1847 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 34.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Richard Worth

    Died 1916 in Hospital, Latrobe, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1916.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sarah Worth

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836. Married 1836 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 386 records for Worth in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada350 records

350 records of the Worth name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 315
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 14
  • Other Canadian records 21
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record J.c Worth

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Sardinian, landing at Quebec, bound for Collingwood, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record John Worth

    Killed in 1896 at the Goldenville, Springfield Mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Charles E. Worth

    Buried in 1969 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 62.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 350 records for Worth in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Germany31 records

31 records of the Worth name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gustav Worth

    From Gr. Ottersleben. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 30 July 1915 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 74).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Friedrich Wörth

    From Wollstein, Alzey. Listed as returned from captivity in the Prussian casualty list of 27 February 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 31 records for Worth in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom25 records

25 records of the Worth name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 23
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Anne Worth

    Died 1998, aged 49; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Worth

    Will proved in 1937; of Neath.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. H. Worth

    Rifle Brigade. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 25 records for Worth in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France8 records

8 records of the Worth name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Louis Marius Worth

    Born 1896 in Lyon; died 1972 in Lyon (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie France Monique Worth

    Born 1923 in Paris; died 1988 in Vaucresson (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Helene Madeleine Marie Worth

    Born 1911 in Paris; died 1987 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Worth in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Worth name in New Zealand
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Diggory Worth

    Buried in 1893 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 55.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record W. Worth

    New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Worth name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Ida Wörth

    In the population register of Apeldoorn; born 1885 in Becke (Dld.).

    Open Archives, CODA (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Anna Christina Wörth

    Baptised in 1786 in Nijmegen.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Worth.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Worth is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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