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

Corwin, 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 Corwin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Corwin in America

Corwin is the 5083rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Corwin surname appeared 6,887 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Corwin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Corwin 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 Corwin

The surname CORWIN has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of England, deriving from the Old English words "corn" meaning grain and "winn" meaning friend or protector. It is believed to have been an occupational surname initially given to someone who was responsible for overseeing the storage and protection of grain supplies.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Corwin can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cornwine" in the county of Somerset. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Cornewyn, Cornwyne, and Cornwynne, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Devon, where many early bearers of the name were landowners or farmers.

One notable historical figure was Sir John Corwin, who lived in the 14th century and served as a knight and landowner in Somerset. His descendants continued to hold land and influence in the region for several generations.

In the 16th century, the Corwin name gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Corwin (1501-1565), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in London. His success and status helped to further establish the name's reputation.

Another prominent individual was Jonathan Corwin (1642-1718), a wealthy merchant and judge who played a significant role in the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693. His actions during this period have been the subject of much historical debate and analysis.

In the 18th century, Edward Corwin (1738-1823) was a notable figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. He later became a respected lawyer and judge in New York.

The 19th century saw the birth of Thomas Corwin (1794-1865), a prominent politician and statesman who served as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Treasury, and Governor of Ohio. He was a vocal opponent of slavery and played a significant role in the debates leading up to the Civil War.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the surname Corwin throughout history, reflecting its enduring legacy and importance across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Corwin

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!