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

Calloway, 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 Calloway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calloway in America

Calloway is the 2175th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calloway surname appeared 16,689 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Calloway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calloway 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 Calloway

The surname Calloway originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "callu" meaning bald and "wath" meaning a ford or crossing, suggesting the name referred to someone who lived near a bald or bare ford across a stream.

One of the earliest records of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where it is spelled Calueway. The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions a place called Calluewaith, which is likely related to the surname's origin.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various forms such as Calweyth, Callewey, and Calaway, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling of the time. The modern spelling of Calloway became more standardized in the 16th century.

Notable historical figures with the Calloway surname include Sir Thomas Calloway (c. 1540-1592), an English politician and landowner in Gloucestershire. Another early bearer of the name was John Calloway (c. 1570-1635), a merchant and alderman in the City of London.

In the 17th century, the Calloway family established themselves in Virginia, with Samuel Calloway (1626-1671) being one of the earliest settlers in the colony. His descendants played a prominent role in the American Revolutionary War, with Richard Calloway (1758-1824) serving as a Captain in the Continental Army.

Another significant figure was James Calloway (1748-1812), a pioneer and surveyor who explored and mapped parts of what is now Kentucky and Tennessee. He is credited with discovering the famous Mammoth Cave in 1809.

In the 19th century, Cab Calloway (1907-1994) became a renowned American jazz singer and bandleader, known for his energetic scat singing and leading the Cab Calloway Orchestra during the Harlem Renaissance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calloway

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

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

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

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