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

Doward, 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 Doward surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Doward in America

Doward is the 82613th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Doward surname appeared 228 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 Doward.

We can also compare 2010 data for Doward 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 Doward

The surname DOWARD is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "dor" meaning door and "weard" meaning guard or keeper, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a doorkeeper or gatekeeper.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DOWARD name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a William Doreward is mentioned. This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

During the 13th century, the DOWARD name appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which listed a Thomas Doreward. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by this time.

In the 14th century, the DOWARD name was associated with a village in Herefordshire called Doward, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname. This village is mentioned in the Nomina Villarum of 1316, which was a survey of settlements in England at the time.

One notable figure bearing the DOWARD surname was Sir John Doward (c. 1410 - 1501), a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire in the late 15th century. He was also a Sheriff of Herefordshire and is mentioned in various historical records from that period.

Another prominent individual was Robert Doward (c. 1545 - 1619), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Stafford and the Rector of Trentham in Staffordshire during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 17th century, the DOWARD name appeared in parish records across various counties in England, including Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire, suggesting its continued presence and spread throughout the country.

One notable figure from this period was Thomas Doward (c. 1630 - 1691), a English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Principles of the Protestant Religion Maintained" and "A Treatise on Justification."

In the 18th century, the DOWARD surname was further documented in various records, such as the baptism registers of St. Mary's Church in Hereford, where several individuals with the name were recorded.

During the 19th century, the DOWARD name continued to be present in various parts of England, as evidenced by census records and birth, marriage, and death registers from that time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Doward

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

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

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

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