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

Bywaters, 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 Bywaters surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bywaters in America

Bywaters is the 57914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bywaters surname appeared 351 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 Bywaters.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bywaters 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 Bywaters

The surname Bywaters originated in England in the 12th century as a locational name. It derived from the Old English words 'bi' meaning 'beside' and 'wæter' meaning 'water' or 'stream'. The name was given to those who lived near a body of water or stream.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1202, where it is spelled 'Biwateres'. Another early spelling variation is 'Biwater', found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1275.

In the 13th century, the name was also associated with various place names, such as Bywater in West Yorkshire and Biwater in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely contributed to the surname's development and spread.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Bywaters, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1327. Another early reference can be found in the Register of the Freemen of York, where a Richard Bywaters was listed in 1478.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Bywaters became more widely distributed across England. Notable individuals from this period include William Bywaters (1539-1622), a merchant and alderman in the City of London, and John Bywaters (1604-1678), a clergyman who served as the Rector of Nettlebed in Oxfordshire.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be found in various parts of England, with bearers such as Robert Bywaters (1712-1782), a landowner in Gloucestershire, and Mary Bywaters (1734-1808), a writer and poet from London.

Moving into the 19th century, some notable figures with the surname Bywaters include Sir Walter Bywaters (1820-1896), a British industrialist and philanthropist, and William Bywaters (1853-1923), a prominent architect who designed several buildings in London.

Throughout its history, the surname Bywaters has maintained a strong association with its locational origins and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, ranging from merchants and landowners to clergymen and architects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bywaters

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

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

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

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