2000
#11,642
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,471
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Bellew
Derived from the Old French "bel eau," meaning "beautiful water," likely referring to someone who lived near a body of water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,915 Americans carry the last name Bellew. That puts it at #11,786 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,583 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bellew 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bellew with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,583
Census rank
#11,786
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,542 bearers of the surname Bellew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11786th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellew, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bellew
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellew, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bellew 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 Bellew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 2,282
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 121
- Two or more races4.0% · 101
- Black or African American0.6% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bellew
Bellew appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,739
+268 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 154 places
2020
#11,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,542
-197 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 298 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,642 | 2,471 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,488 | 2,739 | 0.93 | +268 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 154 places |
| 2020 | #11,786 | 2,542 | 0.85 | -197 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 298 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 Bellew 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 | #11,488 | #11,786 | -2.6% |
| Count | 2,739 | 2,542 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.85 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bellew bearers went from 2,739 to 2,542 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 298 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,488 to #11,786.
FAQ
Bellew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bellew?
Name Census estimates that about 2,915 living Americans carry the surname Bellew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,583 residents.
How common is Bellew?
Bellew ranks #11,786 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,542 people with the surname Bellew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,915), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bellew.
Has Bellew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bellew went from 2,739 recorded bearers to 2,542. That is a decrease of 197 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,488 to #11,786.
What does the Census say about the background of Bellew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellew, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Bellew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (2,282 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bellew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Bellew (2000, 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 Bellew mean?
Derived from the Old French "bel eau," meaning "beautiful water," likely referring to someone who lived near a body of water. 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 Bellew (0.85 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 are called Bellew?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Bellew on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.