2000
#2,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,354
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.95
Uncommon Last name
Callaway
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a road or path.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,585 Americans carry the last name Callaway. That puts it at #2,596 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Callaway surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Callaway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,993
Census rank
#2,596
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,591 bearers of the surname Callaway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2596th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Callaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Callaway
Among Census respondents with the surname Callaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Callaway bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Callaway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0% · 10,324
- Black or African American15.6% · 2,118
- Two or more races4.2% · 570
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 444
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Callaway
Callaway appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,819
+465 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 4.68
Rank movement Down 129 places
2020
#2,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,591
-228 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 4.55
Rank movement Up 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,481 | 13,354 | 4.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,610 | 13,819 | 4.68 | +465 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 129 places |
| 2020 | #2,596 | 13,591 | 4.55 | -228 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 14 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Callaway surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,610 | #2,596 | 0.5% |
| Count | 13,819 | 13,591 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.68 | 4.55 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Callaway bearers went from 13,819 to 13,591 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,610 to #2,596.
FAQ
Callaway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Callaway?
Name Census estimates that about 15,585 living Americans carry the surname Callaway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,993 residents.
How common is Callaway?
Callaway ranks #2,596 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,591 people with the surname Callaway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,585), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Callaway.
Has Callaway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Callaway went from 13,819 recorded bearers to 13,591. That is a decrease of 228 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,610 to #2,596.
What does the Census say about the background of Callaway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Callaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Callaway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (10,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Callaway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.0%), Black (15.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Callaway (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Callaway mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a road or path. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Callaway (4.55 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Callaway?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.