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

Callaway, 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 Callaway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Callaway in America

Callaway is the 2610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Callaway surname appeared 13,819 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Callaway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Callaway 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 Callaway

The surname Callaway is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Calver, which is situated in Derbyshire. The name Calver itself is thought to come from the Old English words "calre" meaning "bare" and "fer" meaning "a way or path," referring to a bare or open way or road.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Callaway dates back to the late 12th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire from 1196, there is a reference to a person named William de Caluour. This is believed to be an early spelling variation of the modern surname Callaway.

During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Calwey, Calway, and Calvay, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. One notable historical figure was Sir Hugh Calveley (c. 1310-1394), a renowned English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was appointed the Governor of Calais by King Edward III.

In the 16th century, the surname Callaway gained prominence in Staffordshire, where records show families residing in the area. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Callaway (c. 1545-1615), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who contributed to the construction of churches and schools in the region.

The 17th century saw the Callaway surname spread to other parts of England, with records indicating families residing in counties such as Gloucestershire and Somerset. A notable figure from this time was John Callaway (1638-1712), a Quaker minister and author who wrote extensively on religious matters.

As the surname continued to evolve, it took on various spellings, including Calloway, Calaway, and Caloway. In the 18th century, the Callaway family established themselves in the United States, with early settlers arriving in Virginia and Maryland. One prominent individual from this period was Henry Callaway (1768-1835), a farmer and landowner who served as a soldier during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout the 19th century, the Callaway surname became more widespread, with families residing in various parts of the United States and other English-speaking countries. Notable individuals from this era include Morgan Callaway (1808-1898), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the town of Callaway, Nebraska, and Sir Henry Callaway (1817-1890), an English missionary and linguist who documented the Zulu language and culture in South Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Callaway

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Callaway, 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!