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

Bewley, 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 Bewley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bewley in America

Bewley is the 10812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bewley surname appeared 2,946 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 Bewley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bewley 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 Bewley

The surname Bewley is an English name derived from the Old English word 'byewlic', meaning a dwelling place or a pasture. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, England, in the early medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Beverlac'. This entry refers to a place in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which was later known as Beverley.

In the 13th century, the name was spelled as 'Beulay' and 'Beuley', and it was often associated with various locations in Yorkshire, such as Bewley Hill and Bewley Moor.

One notable historical figure with the surname Bewley was John Bewley (1653-1728), an English Quaker and merchant who established the Bewley's Cafe chain in Dublin, Ireland, in 1835. The cafe became a renowned institution and is still in operation today.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Bewley (1805-1892), an Irish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bewley's Oriental Cafes in Dublin. He was also involved in various charitable initiatives and was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers).

In the late 18th century, a branch of the Bewley family emigrated from England to the United States, where they settled in Pennsylvania. One notable American with this surname was Humphrey Bewley (1790-1868), a farmer and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Ernest Bewley (1837-1904), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Courts of Justice.

Lastly, Veronica Bewley (1927-2021) was a British actress who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout her career, including the popular series "Upstairs, Downstairs" in the 1970s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bewley

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

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

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

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