Find out how popular the last name Attaway is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Attaway.

Attaway, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Attaway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Attaway in America

Attaway is the 9222nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Attaway surname appeared 3,534 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Attaway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Attaway to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Attaway

The surname Attaway is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the late 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "æt," meaning "at," and the word "weg," meaning "way" or "path." It's likely that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a well-traveled road or path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1198, where a William Attewaye is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, referring to a Richard Atteway.

During the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms, such as Ateweye, Atteweye, and Attwaye, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. These early records suggest that the name was primarily concentrated in the southern and central regions of England.

In the 14th century, the name Attaway appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a John Atteway is recorded in 1327. Around the same time, a Thomas Attewaye is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1334.

One notable historical figure bearing the Attaway surname was Sir John Attaway, a Member of Parliament for Wigan in 1554 during the reign of Queen Mary I. Records indicate that he was born in 1520 and played a significant role in local politics during the turbulent years of the English Reformation.

Another individual of note was William Attaway, who was born in 1635 in Somerset, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants later emigrated to the American colonies in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Attaway surname appeared in the parish records of Gloucestershire, where a Robert Attaway was born in 1712. Later, in the 19th century, a John Attaway, born in 1823 in Oxfordshire, became a renowned scholar and author, publishing several works on English literature and history.

Throughout the centuries, the Attaway surname has been associated with various place names, such as Attaway Farm in Worcestershire and Attaway's Green in Somerset, further reinforcing the name's English origins and geographic connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Attaway

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Attaway.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Attaway was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Attaway has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Attaway was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Attaway, please contact us.

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