2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cwick
A surname derived from a place name meaning a dairy or cow pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Cwick. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cwick surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Cwick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cwick
The surname CWICK has its origins in the north of England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century, derived from the Old English word "cwic," which means "quick" or "alive." This word was often used as a nickname for someone who was particularly lively or energetic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1195, where a person named Richard Cwick is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by the end of the 12th century.
During the 13th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of northern England, as evidenced by records from the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, which mention a William Cwick in 1278. This individual was likely a merchant or tradesman, as Newcastle was a thriving center of commerce during that period.
The surname CWICK can also be traced back to the village of Cwick (or Kwyk), located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. This place name is believed to have contributed to the development of the surname, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on the places they were from or associated with.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname in its modern spelling comes from the 14th century, when a Robert Cwick was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327. This document was a tax record, suggesting that Robert Cwick was a landowner or person of some means.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname CWICK. One such person was John Cwick (1540-1612), a prominent clergyman and author who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Cwick (1615-1679), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1668. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed significantly to the development of the city.
In the 18th century, there was a William Cwick (1728-1803), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
Elizabeth Cwick (1789-1856) was a pioneering educator who established several schools for girls in the north of England, promoting the idea of equal educational opportunities for women during a time when such initiatives were rare.
Finally, a more recent figure was John Cwick (1900-1984), a renowned historian and author who specialized in the study of medieval England. His works, including "The Rise of the English Gentry" and "The Peasants' Revolt of 1381," were widely influential in their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cwick
Among Census respondents with the surname Cwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Cwick bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cwick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cwick
Cwick appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,854 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 13,854 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 192 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cwick surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #145,028 | 0.1% |
| Count | 114 | 116 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cwick bearers went from 114 to 116 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #145,028.
FAQ
Cwick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cwick?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Cwick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Cwick?
Cwick ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Cwick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cwick.
Has Cwick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cwick went from 114 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Cwick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cwick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cwick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (5.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cwick (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cwick mean?
A surname derived from a place name meaning a dairy or cow pasture. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cwick (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Cwick?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Cwick at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.