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

Dewett, 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 Dewett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dewett in America

Dewett is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dewett surname appeared 162 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 Dewett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dewett 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 Dewett

The surname DEWETT is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "deu" meaning "dew" and "wett" meaning "wet," suggesting a connection to a place name or a descriptive name for someone who lived near a particularly dewy or damp area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Huntingdonshire Feet of Fines from 1305, which mentions a Thomas Dewett. This suggests that the name was already in use by the early 14th century.

In the 16th century, the DEWETT name appeared in various records across several counties in England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. This indicates that the name had spread and was established in different regions of the country.

Interestingly, in the 1601 Subsidy Rolls for Nottinghamshire, a John Dewett is listed as a resident of Bingham. This provides an example of the name being associated with a specific place during that time period.

One notable figure with the DEWETT surname was Sir John Dewett, a Member of Parliament who lived from around 1580 to 1648. He represented the borough of Grimsby in the Parliament of England during the early 17th century.

Another individual of historical significance was Richard Dewett, born in 1695 in Lincolnshire. He was a prominent figure in the Industrial Revolution and is credited with pioneering improvements in the production of agricultural tools and machinery.

The name DEWETT also appeared in various parish records and manorial documents throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, further solidifying its presence in different parts of England.

In terms of place names, the village of Dewett in Nottinghamshire may have some connection to the surname, although the exact origins of this particular place name are unclear.

Overall, the surname DEWETT has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with its earliest known references dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. While its precise etymology remains uncertain, the name's longevity and presence across various regions of the country attest to its enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dewett

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

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

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