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

Edwin, 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 Edwin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Edwin in America

Edwin is the 23185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Edwin surname appeared 1,100 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 Edwin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Edwin 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 Edwin

The surname Edwin has its origins in England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era in the 7th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ead," meaning prosperity or fortune, and "wine," meaning friend, thus signifying a prosperous or fortunate friend. The name was initially spelled as "Eadwine" or "Eadwyne."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Edwinus" and "Edwyne." This suggests that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the name Edwin was relatively common in various parts of England, particularly in the northern regions. It was often associated with landowners and members of the gentry class. In the late 12th century, a notable individual named Edwin of Woodstock, a royal falconer, was documented in the records of King Henry II.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England. This document mentions individuals such as Edwin de Cauz and Edwin de Coleworth, indicating the name's prevalence among the landed gentry of the time.

One of the most famous historical figures bearing the surname Edwin was Sir Edwin Sandys (1561-1629), a prominent English politician and colonial leader. He played a crucial role in the establishment and governance of the Virginia Colony in North America.

Another notable individual was Edwin Booth (1833-1893), an acclaimed American actor who was particularly renowned for his performances of Shakespearean roles. He was also the brother of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.

In the literary world, Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869-1935) was an American poet who won three Pulitzer Prizes for his works, including the famous poem "Richard Cory."

The name Edwin has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Edwinstown in Nottinghamshire and Edwinshope in Northumberland. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Edwin who once owned or resided in those areas.

While the surname Edwin has maintained its presence throughout history, it has also evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Edwyn, Edwine, and Edwins, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Edwin

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

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

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

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