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

Birth, 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 Birth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birth in America

Birth is the 48628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birth surname appeared 434 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 Birth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birth 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 Birth

The surname "Birth" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "burth," meaning a landed estate or a small village. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in or was associated with a particular estate or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, where a certain John Birth is mentioned. Another early reference appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, from the year 1379, which lists a William de Birth among the tenants.

In the 15th century, the name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire and Staffordshire, with various records mentioning individuals such as Thomas Birth (born around 1420) and Richard Birth (born circa 1450) from these regions.

The surname "Birth" may also have been influenced by certain place names, such as the village of Birch in Staffordshire or the town of Birchover in Derbyshire. It is possible that the name evolved from these locations, with variations in spelling occurring over time.

Notably, a prominent figure bearing the surname "Birth" was Sir John Birth (1452-1518), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Worcestershire. He served as the Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1487 and was known for his philanthropic endeavors, including the establishment of a grammar school in the town of Bromsgrove.

Another notable individual was William Birth (1563-1624), a clergyman and author who served as the rector of Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire. He published several religious works during his lifetime, including a commentary on the Book of Psalms.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records across England, with individuals such as Thomas Birth (born 1612) from Oxfordshire and Margaret Birth (born 1658) from Gloucestershire being mentioned.

As the surname spread further, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles, with records indicating the presence of families bearing the name "Birth" in Scotland and Ireland by the 18th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birth

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

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

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

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