Civil last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Civil

A surname derived from the word "civil," suggesting a connection to public service or governance.

Civil, 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 Civil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Civil in America

Civil is the 25486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Civil surname appeared 970 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Civil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Civil 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 25486 35757 -33.54%
Count 970 594 48.08%
Proportion per 100k 0.33 0.22 40.00%

The history of the last name Civil

The surname CIVIL originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "civil," which means "civilian" or "citizen." This name was likely given to someone who lived in a town or village, as opposed to a rural area.

One of the earliest records of the CIVIL surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a John Civil. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, with a reference to a William Civil.

The CIVIL surname is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where it was initially concentrated. Over time, it spread to other parts of England, particularly the Midlands and the South.

One of the earliest known bearers of the CIVIL surname was William Civil, who was born around 1350 in Yorkshire. He was a landowner and is mentioned in several historical records from the late 14th century.

Another notable individual with the CIVIL surname was John Civil, a merchant who lived in London during the 16th century. He is recorded as having traded with the Netherlands and was involved in the wool trade.

In the 17th century, there was a Richard Civil who served as a captain in the English Civil War. He fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was involved in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

The CIVIL surname also has connections to various place names in England. For example, there is a village called Civil in Somerset, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

One of the most prominent individuals with the CIVIL surname was Sir Edward Civil, an English politician and landowner who lived from 1630 to 1712. He served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies and was known for his advocacy of religious tolerance.

Another notable figure was John Civil, a poet and writer who lived from 1677 to 1753. He wrote several works of poetry and was also involved in literary circles in London.

In summary, the CIVIL surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England. It was likely derived from the Old French word for "civilian" and was initially concentrated in Yorkshire before spreading to other parts of the country. While not a particularly common surname, it has been borne by various individuals of note throughout English history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Civil

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

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 Civil was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 11.03% 107
Non-Hispanic Black Only 80.10% 777
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.34% 13
Hispanic Origin 6.39% 62

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 Civil has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 11.03% 15.66% -34.69%
Black 80.10% 64.14% 22.13%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.34% 11.62% -158.64%
Hispanic 6.39% 6.73% -5.18%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Civil last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/civil-surname-popularity/.

"Civil last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/civil-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Civil last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/civil-surname-popularity/.

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