2000
#10,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,929
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Bewley
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "bee wood" or "bee clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,265 Americans carry the last name Bewley. That puts it at #10,714 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,978 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bewley 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 Bewley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 104,978
Census rank
#10,714
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,847 bearers of the surname Bewley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10714th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bewley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bewley
Among Census respondents with the surname Bewley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bewley 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 Bewley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 2,491
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 154
- Two or more races3.3% · 94
- Black or African American2.0% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bewley
Bewley 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
#10,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,946
+17 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 689 places
2020
#10,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,847
-99 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 98 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,123 | 2,929 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,812 | 2,946 | 1.00 | +17 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 689 places |
| 2020 | #10,714 | 2,847 | 0.95 | -99 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 98 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 Bewley 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 | #10,812 | #10,714 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,946 | 2,847 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.95 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bewley bearers went from 2,946 to 2,847 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 98 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,812 to #10,714.
FAQ
Bewley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bewley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,265 living Americans carry the surname Bewley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,978 residents.
How common is Bewley?
Bewley ranks #10,714 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 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 2,847 people with the surname Bewley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,265), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 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 Bewley.
Has Bewley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bewley went from 2,946 recorded bearers to 2,847. That is a decrease of 99 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,812 to #10,714.
What does the Census say about the background of Bewley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bewley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Bewley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (2,491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bewley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Bewley (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 Bewley mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "bee wood" or "bee clearing." 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 Bewley (0.95 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 have the surname Bewley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.