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

Birthwright, 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 Birthwright surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birthwright in America

Birthwright is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birthwright surname appeared 131 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 Birthwright.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birthwright 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 Birthwright

The surname "Birthwright" has its origins in the Middle English language and is believed to have originated in England during the 13th century. It is a combination of two words, "birth" and "wright," with the latter being an occupational term referring to a skilled craftsman or maker.

During the medieval period, the name was likely associated with individuals who were involved in the profession of midwifery or assisting with childbirth. These individuals, known as "birthwrights," played a crucial role in the delivery of babies and the care of mothers during and after the birthing process.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Birthwright" can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a compilation of tax records from the late 13th century. The entry mentions a certain "Robert le Berthewryghte" residing in the village of Meldreth.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Byrthwryghte" and "Burthwright," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable individual bearing this surname was John Birthwright, a monk and scribe who lived in the Abbey of St. Albans in Hertfordshire in the late 14th century.

During the Tudor period, the surname "Birthwright" continued to be found in various records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from the reign of Henry VIII. These rolls list several individuals with the surname, such as William Birthwright of Ipswich, a prosperous merchant and landowner born around 1510.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. One notable entry is the baptism of Thomas Birthwright in 1625, the son of a local yeoman farmer.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Birthwright, born in 1670 in the village of Stowmarket, Suffolk. She was a renowned midwife and herbalist, widely respected for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her dedication to assisting women during childbirth.

As the centuries progressed, the surname "Birthwright" spread across various regions of England, with families bearing this name being found in counties such as Norfolk, Essex, and Lincolnshire. However, it remained relatively uncommon, with pockets of concentration in the Eastern counties of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birthwright

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!