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

Broadwater, 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 Broadwater surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Broadwater in America

Broadwater is the 8925th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Broadwater surname appeared 3,667 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 Broadwater.

We can also compare 2010 data for Broadwater 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 Broadwater

The surname Broadwater is an English toponymic name that originated in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "brad" meaning broad and "wæter" meaning water or stream, referring to a wide body of water or a river. The name likely originated in areas near a broad river or stream, perhaps in the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, or Buckinghamshire where such geographical features are found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Broadwater appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, where a Robert de Bradewatre is mentioned. The spelling variations in medieval records include Bradewatere, Bradewater, and Broadwater.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1221, where a William de Bradewatre is listed. This suggests the name had spread to other regions of England by this time.

The Broadwater surname is also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which lists a Hugo de Bradewatre. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in the area where it likely originated.

One notable individual with this surname was Sir William Broadwater (c. 1470-1542), a Member of Parliament for Berkshire during the reign of Henry VIII. He was a prominent landowner in the county and played a role in the dissolution of the monasteries.

Another historical figure was John Broadwater (c. 1530-1595), a successful merchant and alderman in the City of London during the Elizabethan era. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and served as Sheriff of London in 1585.

In the 17th century, Robert Broadwater (c. 1610-1688) was a renowned English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire. He published several religious works, including "The Spiritual Husbandry" in 1645.

During the 18th century, Thomas Broadwater (1732-1806) was a prominent architect and surveyor based in London. He is known for designing several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.

In the 19th century, Sir William Broadwater (1835-1912) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire. He made his fortune in the textile industry and donated generously to educational and charitable causes in his later years.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Broadwater

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

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

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

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