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

Cartwright, 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 Cartwright surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cartwright in America

Cartwright is the 1626th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cartwright surname appeared 22,156 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Cartwright.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cartwright 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 Cartwright

The surname Cartwright is an English occupational name derived from the Old English words 'cræt' meaning cart, and 'wyrhta' meaning maker or builder. It originates from the medieval times, referring to a person who built or repaired carts and wagons.

The earliest recorded instance of the Cartwright surname dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a Richard le Cartwricht was mentioned in 1197. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a Robert le Cartwright was listed in Cambridgeshire.

The name is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a census commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, there are several references to individuals with the title 'Cartuarius' or 'Carectarius', which were Latin forms of the word Cartwright.

During the Middle Ages, the Cartwright surname was particularly common in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, where there was a strong tradition of cart and wagon-making. The surname also appeared in various medieval records such as the Pipe Rolls, the Feet of Fines, and the Hearth Tax Returns.

One notable Cartwright from history was Thomas Cartwright (1535-1603), an English Puritan theologian and leader of the Presbyterian movement. He was a prominent figure in the Elizabethan era and was involved in the Vestiarian Controversy, which was a debate over the use of clerical vestments in the Church of England.

Another famous Cartwright was William Cartwright (1611-1643), an English dramatist and poet who was considered one of the most prominent writers of the Cavalier period. He was a contemporary of John Milton and was known for his plays such as "The Royal Slave" and "The Lady Errant."

In the 18th century, Edmund Cartwright (1743-1823) was an English inventor and clergyman who is best known for inventing the power loom in 1785. His invention revolutionized the textile industry and contributed to the Industrial Revolution in Britain.

The Cartwright surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Cartworth in West Yorkshire, Carterknowle in Sheffield, and Carterton in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from the Cartwright surname, reflecting the presence of Cartwrights in those areas.

Another notable Cartwright was John Cartwright (1740-1824), an English naval officer and political reformer who advocated for parliamentary reform and universal suffrage. He played a significant role in the Radical Movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cartwright

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

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

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

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