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

DeWitt, 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 DeWitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeWitt in America

DeWitt is the 1338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeWitt surname appeared 26,348 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname DeWitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeWitt 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 DeWitt

The surname DEWITT originated in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch words "de" meaning "the" and "Witt" meaning "white". The name likely referred to someone with white or fair hair or complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEWITT surname dates back to the 13th century in Amsterdam. It appeared in municipal records and property deeds of the time, sometimes spelled as "de Witte" or "de Wit". Many of the earliest bearers of this name were from the provinces of North and South Holland.

In the 16th century, the DEWITT name gained prominence with Cornelis de Witt (1623-1672), a renowned Dutch statesman and Grand Pensionary of Holland. He played a crucial role in the Dutch Golden Age and the Anglo-Dutch Wars against England.

Another notable historical figure was Johan de Witt (1625-1692), the younger brother of Cornelis. He was a highly influential Dutch politician who served as the Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1653 to 1672. Both brothers were tragically lynched by an angry mob in The Hague in 1672.

In the 17th century, the DEWITT surname also appeared in English records, likely due to Dutch immigration and trade connections with Britain. One early bearer was Emanuel de Witt (1617-1692), a Dutch-born merchant and landowner who settled in London.

During the American Colonial era, several individuals with the DEWITT surname made their mark. Simeon DeWitt (1756-1834) was a prominent surveyor and cartographer who served as the Surveyor General of the Continental Army under George Washington.

Another notable figure was Jacob DeWitt (1784-1843), a lawyer and politician from New York who served as a U.S. Senator and Mayor of New York City. He was also a member of the influential DeWitt family of New York, which included several prominent politicians and landowners.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeWitt

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

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

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

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