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

Aw, 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 Aw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aw in America

Aw is the 63373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aw surname appeared 315 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Aw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aw 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 Aw

The surname "Aw" is believed to have originated in Scotland and is thought to be derived from the Old English word "aw," which means a body of water or a stream. This name is most commonly found in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the region of Ayrshire.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "Aw" can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a collection of homages paid to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. In these rolls, the name appears as "Awe."

The name "Aw" is also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were official records of the Scottish royal finances and administration from the late 12th to the early 16th century. These records mention individuals with the surname "Aw" in various contexts, such as land transactions and tax payments.

One notable historical figure with the surname "Aw" was John Aw (c. 1520-1590), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Murray from 1568 to 1590. He was known for his involvement in the Scottish Reformation and his support for the Protestant cause.

Another notable individual was Robert Aw (1774-1843), a Scottish merchant and entrepreneur who founded the town of Ayr, Ontario, in Canada. He was instrumental in the early development of the town and is celebrated as one of its founding fathers.

In the literary world, the Scottish author and poet James Aw (1837-1912) is known for his works exploring Scottish culture and traditions, including "The Bards of Bonnie Doon" and "The Land of Burns."

The surname "Aw" has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Awside, Awburn, and Awfield, which may have influenced the development of the name over time.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname "Aw" have been observed, including "Awe," "Augh," and "Ach," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and regional dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aw

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

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 Aw 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 Aw 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 Aw was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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