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

DeWalt, 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 DeWalt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeWalt in America

DeWalt is the 10326th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeWalt surname appeared 3,120 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname DeWalt.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeWalt 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 DeWalt

The surname DEWALT has its origins in Germany and the Low Countries, particularly in the regions of Westphalia and the Rhineland. It is derived from the Middle German words "de Walhe" or "de Walhen," which were used to refer to people of Celtic or Romance origin, often from France or Wallonia. The name likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a way to distinguish these individuals from the Germanic population.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cistercian abbey of Altenberg, near Cologne, where a monk named Herman de Walhen is mentioned in a document from the year 1225. Another early reference is in the records of the city of Aachen, where a man called Johan de Walen is listed in a tax register from 1285.

During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the name began to spread across various regions of Germany and the Netherlands. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Matthias DEWALT (1529-1591) was a renowned theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg.

As the name evolved, it underwent several spelling variations, including De Walen, De Walhen, and De Walhern, before settling on the more modern form of DEWALT. In the 17th century, a prominent Dutch painter, Cornelis DEWALT (1623-1667), gained recognition for his still-life and landscape works.

Another historical figure of note was Johann DEWALT (1712-1789), a German immigrant to Pennsylvania who played a significant role in the early development of the American gunsmithing industry. He is credited with establishing one of the first rifling mills in the Colonies, providing high-quality rifles for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the DEWALT name continued to gain prominence, with individuals such as the German-American inventor and industrialist Gottlieb DEWALT (1837-1907), who founded the DEWALT Power Tool Company in Pennsylvania, which became a leading manufacturer of power tools and construction equipment.

Throughout its history, the surname DEWALT has been borne by numerous notable individuals across various fields, including academics, artists, entrepreneurs, and military figures, reflecting its rich heritage and cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeWalt

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

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

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

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