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

Bellows, 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 Bellows surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bellows in America

Bellows is the 9080th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bellows surname appeared 3,601 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 Bellows.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bellows 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 Bellows

The surname Bellows is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bylg," which referred to a leather bag or pouch used for carrying air or wind. This term was later applied to the device used for blowing air into a fire, known as a bellows.

The earliest known record of the surname Bellows dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various tax rolls and parish records across different regions of England. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this name was William le Bellewes, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

In the 14th century, the surname was also found in various spellings, such as Bellowes, Bellewes, and Belous, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that era. One notable individual from this period was John Belous, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348.

The Bellows surname was also associated with certain place names, such as Bellows in Northamptonshire and Bellows Green in Staffordshire. These locations likely played a role in the development and spread of the surname throughout different regions of England.

Several notable individuals have borne the Bellows surname throughout history, including:

1. Henry Whitney Bellows (1814-1882), an American clergyman and writer known for his work on the translation of the Poetic Edda.

2. Albert Bellows (1829-1883), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 27th Governor of Vermont from 1869 to 1872.

3. John Bellows (1831-1902), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Bellows Falls Canal Company in Vermont.

4. Henry Adams Bellows (1885-1939), an American lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1935 to 1939.

5. George Bellows (1882-1925), an American realist painter known for his depictions of urban life in New York City during the early 20th century.

While the Bellows surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to various other parts of the world, including North America, where many individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bellows

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

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

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

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