Dewart last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Dewart

A Scottish surname derived from a Norman French place name meaning "the warden".

Dewart, 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 Dewart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dewart in America

Dewart is the 62189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dewart surname appeared 322 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 Dewart.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dewart 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 62189 54020 14.06%
Count 322 358 -10.59%
Proportion per 100k 0.11 0.13 -16.67%

The history of the last name Dewart

The surname DEWART originated in Scotland, and its earliest recorded use dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French "de la warde," meaning "of the guard" or "from the watch," suggesting that the name may have been adopted by someone who served as a guard or watchman.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Among the names listed is "Thomas de Warde," which is likely an early spelling variation of DEWART.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a "Willelmus de Warde" is mentioned in 1456. This suggests that the name had already established itself in different parts of Scotland by that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname DEWART gained prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such individual was Sir John Dewart (1572-1640), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1633 to 1640.

Another noteworthy figure was William Dewart (1629-1691), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Covenanter movement during the religious conflicts of the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the DEWART surname was associated with several places in Scotland, such as Dewarthaugh in Dumfriesshire and Dewart's Mains in Ayrshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname DEWART who were landowners or residents in those areas.

One famous bearer of the DEWART name in the 19th century was Sir James Dewart (1829-1909), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1888 to 1892.

In the 20th century, the DEWART surname continued to be prominent in various fields. For example, John Dewart (1889-1954) was a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North from 1925 to 1940.

Overall, the surname DEWART has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the medieval period. The name has been associated with various notable individuals, places, and events throughout the centuries, reflecting its enduring presence in Scottish history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dewart

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

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 Dewart was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.79% 302
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
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 1.86% 6
Hispanic Origin 1.55% 5

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.79% 91.06% 2.95%
Black (S)% 3.63% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.86% 1.40% 28.22%
Hispanic 1.55% 1.96% -23.36%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dewart, 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!

"Dewart last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/dewart-surname-popularity/.

"Dewart last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/dewart-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 July, 2025

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

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