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

Birdow, 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 Birdow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birdow in America

Birdow is the 56588th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birdow surname appeared 361 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Birdow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birdow 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 Birdow

The surname Birdow has its origins in England, where it can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "brid" and "hoh," meaning "bird" and "ridge" or "hill," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a ridge or hill frequented by birds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Birdow can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire from 1203, where a person named Geoffrey Birdow was mentioned. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221, referencing a certain William Birdow.

During the medieval period, the name underwent various spellings, such as Birdhow, Burdhow, and Burdehow, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. These variations can be found in several historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a Roger Burdhow.

In the 14th century, the surname Birdow was prominently associated with the village of Birdow in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name. This connection can be seen in the Poll Tax records of 1379, where a John de Birdow was listed as a resident of the village.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the surname Birdow. One such person was Sir Thomas Birdow (1510-1578), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was Robert Birdow (1628-1691), a renowned theologian and author of several religious texts.

In the 18th century, the Birdow family established itself as a respected lineage in the county of Yorkshire. Notable members included William Birdow (1745-1821), a successful merchant and philanthropist, and his son, James Birdow (1776-1842), who served as a magistrate and was active in local politics.

Other historical figures bearing the surname Birdow include Mary Birdow (1812-1890), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, and John Birdow (1835-1912), a renowned botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of flora in the British colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birdow

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

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

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

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