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

Awkward, 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 Awkward surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Awkward in America

Awkward is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Awkward surname appeared 171 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 Awkward.

We can also compare 2010 data for Awkward 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 Awkward

The surname "AWKWARD" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "awcwerd," which means "turned the wrong way" or "perverse."

In its earliest recorded usage, the name was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was perceived as clumsy, socially inept, or behaving in an unconventional manner. This nickname would eventually become a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

One of the earliest known references to the name "AWKWARD" can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England. The entry mentions a "John Awcwerd" from the county of Oxfordshire.

Another notable early record of the name comes from the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327, which lists a "Robert Aucwarde" as a taxpayer in the region.

In the 15th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Aukward," appeared in several historical documents, including the York Minster Fabric Rolls of 1470, which mention a "Thomas Aukward" who was a stonemason working on the construction of the famous cathedral.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "AWKWARD" was Sir John Awkward (c. 1425 - 1489), a knight and landowner from Warwickshire. He served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Edward IV.

Another notable figure with this surname was Richard Awkward (1580 - 1647), a Puritan minister and author who published several religious tracts and sermons during the English Civil War era.

In the 18th century, a prominent family with the surname "AWKWARD" lived in the village of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Among its members was Robert Awkward (1725 - 1802), a successful merchant and landowner who served as the town's mayor in 1782.

During the Victorian era, the name "AWKWARD" was also associated with a family of industrialists and entrepreneurs from Manchester. William Awkward (1810 - 1873) was a textile manufacturer who owned several mills in the region, while his son, John Awkward (1842 - 1912), went on to become a prominent banker and philanthropist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Awkward

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

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

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

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