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

Dews, 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 Dews surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dews in America

Dews is the 14453rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dews surname appeared 2,067 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 Dews.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dews 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 Dews

The surname Dews has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "deaw," meaning dew, which likely referred to someone who lived near a dewy area or a place where dew frequently formed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dews appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where it is listed as "Robertus de Deus." This spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the name over time.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a compilation of records commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is a mention of the place name "Deudesfel," which may have been the origin of some Dews surnames. This place name likely referred to a dewy field or meadow.

The surname Dews has also been associated with certain place names, such as Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, which was formerly known as "Deuesbyr" in the 13th century. This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Dews was John Dews, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, around 1460. Another notable figure was William Dews, a merchant from London who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Thomas Dews, a landowner and farmer from Gloucestershire, England, who was born in 1620 and died in 1698.

During the 18th century, a prominent individual with the surname Dews was Robert Dews, a scholar and clergyman from Oxford, England. He was born in 1725 and died in 1798.

In the 19th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname Dews was Sir John Dews, a British diplomat and politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 1832 to 1847. He was born in 1785 and died in 1863.

Throughout its history, the surname Dews has been primarily concentrated in England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Gloucestershire, reflecting its English origins and early recorded presence in these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dews

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

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

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

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