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

Brightwell, 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 Brightwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brightwell in America

Brightwell is the 12703rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brightwell surname appeared 2,430 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 Brightwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brightwell 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 Brightwell

The surname Brightwell has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from one of several places called Brightwell, which stems from the Old English words "bryht" meaning "bright" and "well" referring to a spring or stream.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Brightwell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brichtewelle" in reference to a settlement in Berkshire. This indicates that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name Brightwell appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and tenants in various counties of England. The different spellings found in these records, such as "Brichtewell" and "Bryghtewelle," reflect the evolution of the name over time.

One notable individual with the surname Brightwell was John Brightwell (c. 1562-1618), an English clergyman and author from Oxfordshire. He published works on theology and religious education, including "A Revelation of the Revelations" in 1615.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Brightwell (1756-1835), an English naturalist and topographer from Suffolk. He authored several works on the natural history and antiquities of his home county, including "A Topographical and Descriptive Account of the Hundreds of Loes and Wilford" in 1817.

In the 19th century, Celia Brightwell (1809-1875) was a notable English writer and artist from Gloucestershire. She published works on natural history, including "Life of Laetitia Barbauld" in 1839 and "Memorials of the Life of Amelia Opie" in 1854.

Robert Brightwell (1821-1904) was a British engineer and inventor from Oxfordshire. He is credited with developing one of the earliest successful internal combustion engines in the late 19th century, which laid the groundwork for modern automotive technology.

Additionally, William Brightwell (1871-1945) was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, participating in several high-profile matches during his career.

These examples illustrate the widespread use and historical significance of the surname Brightwell across various professions and regions of England over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brightwell

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

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

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

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