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

Bellew, 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 Bellew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bellew in America

Bellew is the 11488th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bellew surname appeared 2,739 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 Bellew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bellew 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 Bellew

The surname Bellew is of Anglo-Norman origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "bel" meaning "beautiful" or "fair," and "lieu" meaning "place" or "spot." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a scenic or picturesque location.

The earliest known record of the Bellew surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, the name is recorded as "Bellow" and is associated with landholdings in various counties, including Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

During the medieval period, the Bellew family established themselves as a prominent Anglo-Norman family in Ireland. One notable member was Sir John Bellew, who was born in 1292 and served as the Lord Justice of Ireland in the 14th century.

Another significant figure was Sir Patrick Bellew, born around 1350, who fought alongside Edward the Black Prince during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted for his valor on the battlefield and later granted lands in County Louth, Ireland.

In the 16th century, the Bellew family became influential landowners in County Galway, Ireland. Sir Christopher Bellew, born in 1519, played a crucial role in the Plantations of Ireland, a government-sponsored initiative to establish English and Scottish settlers on Irish lands.

The surname Bellew can also be found in various spellings, such as Bellieu, Bellewe, and Bellieux, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences over time.

One of the most renowned individuals with the Bellew surname was Richard Bellew, born in 1527 in County Louth, Ireland. He served as the Lord High Treasurer of Ireland and was instrumental in the establishment of Trinity College, Dublin.

Another notable figure was Patrick Bellew, born in 1576 in County Louth, who became a prominent Catholic landowner and was involved in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 17th century.

In the realm of literature, Reverend John Bellew, born in 1760 in County Galway, Ireland, gained recognition as a poet and playwright. His works included the tragedy "Deserter of Naples" and the poem "The Betrayal of Christ."

The Bellew surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Bellew's Town in County Louth, Ireland, and Bellew's Grove in County Galway, Ireland, reflecting the family's influence and landholdings in these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bellew

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

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

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

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