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

Calaway, 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 Calaway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calaway in America

Calaway is the 17662nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calaway surname appeared 1,590 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 Calaway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calaway 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 Calaway

The surname Calaway is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English words "calu" or "calewe," meaning "bare" or "bald," and "weg," meaning "way" or "path." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person living near a bare or bald path or road.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Calueweia in Cambridgeshire. This spelling variation, "Calueweia," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

In the 13th century, records show a Willelmus de Caluweye in Norfolk, and a Johannes de Calwey in Huntingdonshire. These examples demonstrate the gradual changes in spelling as the name spread across different regions of England.

During the 14th century, the name took on various forms, such as Calewey, Caleweye, and Calwey, reflecting the influences of local dialects and scribal interpretations.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir John Calaway (c. 1425-1490), a prominent landowner and military commander who fought in the Wars of the Roses. Another individual of note was Elizabeth Calaway (c. 1460-1530), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from London.

The 16th century saw the spelling of the name shift closer to its modern form, with instances such as William Callaway (c. 1520-1589), a prominent clergyman and scholar from Oxford.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, including those of Thomas Calaway (c. 1610-1675), a successful merchant and ship owner from Bristol, and Mary Calaway (c. 1645-1718), a renowned midwife who practiced in London.

During the 18th century, notable individuals with the surname included John Calaway (1705-1782), a renowned architect responsible for designing several churches and country estates in Gloucestershire, and Samuel Calaway (1735-1812), a pioneering botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of flora in the Americas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calaway

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

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

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

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