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

Caswell, 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 Caswell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caswell in America

Caswell is the 3611th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caswell surname appeared 9,827 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Caswell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caswell 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 Caswell

The surname Caswell has its origins in England, and it is believed to have emerged in the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "casce," meaning cheese, and "well," meaning a spring or stream, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a stream where cheese was produced or sold.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caswell can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed a John de Cassewell in Oxfordshire. This document provides evidence that the name was already in use during the medieval period.

The Caswell surname is also found in various historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, further solidifying its presence in England during this time.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the form of "Caswall" in the Parish Registers of Northamptonshire, indicating a slight variation in spelling. This variation likely arose due to regional dialects and local pronunciation differences.

One notable individual with the surname Caswell was Sir George Caswell (1545-1628), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the governance of the county of Huntingdonshire.

Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Caswell (1729-1789), a military officer and statesman from North Carolina who played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War. He served as the first governor of the independent state of North Carolina from 1776 to 1780.

In the 18th century, the Caswell family established themselves in various parts of the United States, particularly in New England and the Southern states. Notable individuals from this period include Richard Caswell (1754-1833), a soldier and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina.

The 19th century saw the Caswell surname spread further across the United States and other parts of the world. One notable figure was John Caswell (1798-1859), an American educator and author who served as the first president of Brown University in Rhode Island.

Lastly, in the 20th century, Hollie Caswill (1905-1998) was a British artist and illustrator known for her work in children's books and her collaborations with authors such as Enid Blyton.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caswell

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

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

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

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