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

Birdwell, 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 Birdwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birdwell in America

Birdwell is the 7655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birdwell surname appeared 4,339 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 Birdwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birdwell 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 Birdwell

The surname Birdwell is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a well or spring where birds gathered. It likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, in areas of England where such place names were common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Birdwell appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1351, where a John Birdwell is mentioned. The Feet of Fines were records of land transactions, suggesting the name may have initially referred to someone living near a "bird's well."

The name Birdwell is also found in various parish records and tax rolls from the 15th and 16th centuries, often spelled slightly differently, such as Byrdwell or Birdwelle. These variations reflect the fluid nature of spelling during that time.

In the 17th century, the Birdwell surname began appearing more consistently in its modern spelling. One notable bearer was William Birdwell (1605-1678), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War.

As the name spread beyond its original geographic origins, it became associated with several place names across England, such as Birdwell in Yorkshire and Birdwell in Derbyshire. These locations may have contributed to the surname's popularity and dissemination.

Other notable historical figures with the Birdwell surname include John Birdwell (1763-1838), an American pioneer and soldier who served in the Revolutionary War, and Benjamin Birdwell (1785-1856), a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in the early 19th century.

In the 19th century, the name continued to be found in various parts of Britain and North America, with individuals like James Birdwell (1815-1897), a Canadian businessman and politician, and Thomas Birdwell (1848-1915), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birdwell

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

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

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

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