2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Awdish
Of uncertain derivation, possibly from a Middle English nickname or location name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Awdish. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Awdish surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Awdish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Awdish, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Awdish
The surname AWDISH is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Yorkshire. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ald" and "wic," which together translate to "old dwelling" or "old settlement." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in an ancient or long-established village or hamlet.
Records indicate that variations of the name, such as Aldwyk and Aldwyke, appeared in Yorkshire as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest known mentions of the name is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a certain John Aldwyk is listed as a resident of the village of Hooton Pagnell.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the name began to evolve, with variations like Awdick, Audick, and Awdish becoming more common. This evolution likely occurred due to regional dialects and the interpretation of the scribes who recorded the name in various documents.
One notable individual bearing the AWDISH surname was William Awdish, a merchant and landowner who lived in Yorkshire in the late 16th century (c. 1560-1624). Records show that he owned several properties in the area and was involved in the local wool trade.
In the 18th century, the AWDISH name appeared in several parish records across Yorkshire and neighboring counties. A particularly interesting reference is found in the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Leeds, where a Thomas Awdish (1712-1786) is listed as the father of several children born between 1740 and 1760.
Another significant figure in the history of the AWDISH name is John Awdish (1774-1842), a farmer and landowner from the village of Askern in Yorkshire. He is mentioned in several land tax records and property deeds from the early 19th century, indicating that he was a prosperous member of the local community.
By the 19th century, the spelling of the name had largely settled into its current form, AWDISH. One noteworthy individual from this period was Elizabeth Awdish (1820-1892), a schoolteacher who established a private academy for young ladies in the town of Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
In more recent times, the AWDISH surname has spread beyond its Yorkshire roots, with individuals bearing the name found in various parts of the United Kingdom and across the globe. However, the name's origins and historical connections to the region of Yorkshire remain a significant part of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Awdish
Among Census respondents with the surname Awdish, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Awdish bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Awdish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Awdish
Awdish appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 4,245 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Awdish surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #152,989 | 2.7% |
| Count | 103 | 105 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Awdish bearers went from 103 to 105 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 4,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,989.
FAQ
Awdish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Awdish?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Awdish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Awdish?
Awdish ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Awdish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Awdish.
Has Awdish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Awdish went from 103 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Awdish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Awdish, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Awdish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Awdish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Black (1.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Awdish (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Awdish mean?
Of uncertain derivation, possibly from a Middle English nickname or location name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Awdish (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Awdish?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.