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

Deswood, 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 Deswood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deswood in America

Deswood is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deswood surname appeared 117 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 Deswood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deswood 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 Deswood

The surname Deswood is of English origin, first emerging in the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "dæs" meaning "meadow" and "wudu" meaning "wood," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a meadow or forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Wiltshire, where a William Deswood was mentioned in 1587. This suggests that the family may have had roots in the southwestern region of England during that time.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, such as the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which recorded individuals who swore allegiance to the Protestant faith. Among those listed was a Thomas Deswood from the county of Dorset.

The Deswood surname is also associated with the village of Deswood Green, a small hamlet located in the county of Buckinghamshire. It is possible that the name derived from this place name, as it was not uncommon for surnames to originate from the locations where families resided.

Notable individuals with the Deswood surname include:

1. Sir John Deswood (1625-1698), a prominent landowner and magistrate in Gloucestershire.
2. Elizabeth Deswood (1741-1812), a renowned author and poet from Somerset.
3. Robert Deswood (1783-1856), a successful merchant and philanthropist from London.
4. Henry Deswood (1819-1897), a respected academic and scholar at Oxford University.
5. Mary Deswood (1863-1934), a pioneering nurse who served during the Crimean War.

While the Deswood surname may not be as widely recognized as some other English names, it has a rich history dating back several centuries, with traces found in various regions of the country and in the lives of notable individuals throughout the years.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deswood

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

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

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

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