The name Wateringbury, like many of the nearby parishes (such as West Malling, Barming, Farleigh), is an Anglo-Saxon name, meaning "The fortification (bury) of the people (ing) of Othere (Water)".

[2] Wateringbury's existence is first documented in the 10th-century will of Bihtric and Aelfswith and in the early 11th-century obligation recorded in the Textus Roffensis to maintain part of Rochester Bridge.

In 1066, as recorded by the Domesday Book of 1086, Wateringbury consisted of two manors owned respectively by Leofeva and Godil, both Anglo-Saxon women with land-holdings elsewhere.

[4] By 1086, they were replaced by incoming Normans, Ralph son of Thorold and Hugh de Brebouef, both of whom held the manor from Bishop Odo of Bayeux.

In the second half of the 19th century, Leney became internationally renowned as a breeder of shorthorn cattle with individual specimens reaching astronomical prices (2,000 guineas for a single animal in 1874) at auctions held in the village with exports to the US and New Zealand.

In the 1820s Matthias Lucas, Lord Mayor of London in 1827, a self-made man who became wealthy from commerce, acquired Wateringbury Place.

The vicar reported that as a result of the shortage of male hop pickers, the children involved were much more rowdy than in previous years.

Between the wars a major fire in 1927 caused 4 deaths at Wateringbury Hall and attracted much national and international attention.

The second half of the 20th century saw a resurgence of population growth provided for by new housing developments, partly on the sites previously occupied by the two breweries, both of which closed.

A notable scheme is the low-rise brick bungalows at "Leasdene" on Upper Mill, completed by Belcher & Clapson architects in 1966.

[15] In 2017 a series of blue plaques were installed in the village by the Wateringbury Local History Society; those commemorated include Admiral Sir Henry Ruthven Moore, Dame Ellen Terry, Lena, Lady Login and William Rutter Dawes.

The place of birth of residents was 96.3% United Kingdom, 0.5% Republic of Ireland, 1% other Western European countries, and 2.2% elsewhere.

[17] The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 43.9% in full-time employment, 12.1% in part-time employment, 10.3% self-employed, 2% unemployed, 2.5% students with jobs, 3.2% students without jobs, 13.9% retired, 7.1% looking after home or family, 2.8% permanently sick or disabled and 2.2% economically inactive for other reasons.

The industry of employment of residents was 15.7% retail, 12.1% manufacturing, 7% construction, 15.6% real estate, 11.5% health and social work, 6.4% education, 6.4% transport and communications, 6.6% public administration, 3% hotels and restaurants, 8.5% finance, 1.7% agriculture and 5.5% other.