Newsom
A masculine name derived from the Old English meaning "new home" or "newcomer".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Newsom. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Newsom today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Newsom births was 1916 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Newsom. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Newsom. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#3,770
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Newsom: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Newsom by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Newsom during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Newsom
The given name Newsom has its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the 5th century CE. It is derived from the words "niwe" meaning "new" and "sum" meaning "settlement" or "homestead." The name was initially used to refer to someone who had recently established a new settlement or had moved to a new location.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Newsom was prevalent among the Anglo-Saxon populations of England. It was particularly common in the regions of Wessex and Mercia, where many settlements were being established during the period of Anglo-Saxon expansion.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Newsom can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Niewesham" and "Niwesum," indicating the presence of individuals with this name in different parts of England at the time.
Throughout the medieval period, the name Newsom gained popularity among the English nobility and gentry. One notable bearer of this name was Newsom of Bury St. Edmunds, a Benedictine monk who lived in the 12th century and authored several religious treatises.
In the 16th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a prominent figure named Newsom Woodhouse served as a Member of Parliament and was actively involved in the English Reformation.
Another historical figure worth mentioning is Newsom Everard, who lived in the 17th century and was a prominent member of the English Puritan community. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Newsom Garrett was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.
In the 19th century, Newsom Cutt was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from New Hampshire, United States. He made significant contributions to the development of his local community and the establishment of educational institutions.
These examples illustrate the enduring presence of the name Newsom throughout various periods of history, spanning different regions and cultures. While its origins can be traced back to Old English, the name has been carried forward and adapted over the centuries, reflecting the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Newsom + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Newsom as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Newsom: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Newsom?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Newsom going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Newsom a common name?
We classify Newsom as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Newsom most popular?
The single biggest year for Newsom was 1916, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Newsom is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Newsom in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Newsom a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Newsom in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Newsom still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Newsom in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Newsom can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Newsom?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Newsom at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.