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

Dewet, 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 Dewet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dewet in America

Dewet is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dewet surname appeared 144 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 Dewet.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dewet 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 Dewet

The surname DEWET has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch phrase "de wet", which translates to "the law" or "the statute". This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals involved in legal professions or positions of authority related to upholding laws and regulations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEWET surname can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where it appeared in historical records from the late 1500s. It is believed that the name may have originated in this region before spreading to other parts of the Netherlands and eventually beyond.

In the 17th century, the DEWET surname gained prominence in the Dutch Cape Colony, present-day South Africa. Records indicate that several individuals bearing this name were among the early Dutch settlers in the region. One notable example is Jan de Wet, a farmer and landowner born in 1663, who played a significant role in the development of the Cape Colony's agricultural sector.

As the DEWET name spread across Europe and the colonial territories, it underwent various spelling variations, such as De Wet, DeWet, and Dewet. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic adaptations.

In the 18th century, the DEWET surname appeared in historical records in the Netherlands and South Africa. One prominent figure was Jacobus de Wet, a Dutch military officer born in 1736, who served in the Dutch East India Company and played a role in the colonization of the Cape Colony.

The 19th century saw the DEWET name gain further recognition, particularly in South Africa. Christiaan de Wet, born in 1854, was a renowned Boer military leader and statesman who played a pivotal role in the Second Boer War against British forces. His military exploits and leadership during the conflict earned him widespread admiration and a place in South African history.

Another notable figure from this period was Johannes de Wet, a Dutch-born South African politician and lawyer born in 1863. He served as the Attorney-General of the Orange Free State and played a significant role in the negotiations leading to the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

In the 20th century, the DEWET surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Jacobus de Wet, a South African politician and lawyer born in 1912, who served as a Member of Parliament and played a prominent role in the country's legal and political spheres.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dewet

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

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

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