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

Erway, 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 Erway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erway in America

Erway is the 30101st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erway surname appeared 779 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 Erway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erway 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 Erway

The surname ERWAY is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. Historically, it was primarily found in the southwestern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.

One theory suggests that the name ERWAY evolved from the Old German word "erwe," which translates to "inheritance" or "legacy." This connection may indicate that the name was initially associated with landowners or those who inherited property.

Early records show variations in the spelling of the name, including Erwegh, Erwig, and Erweig. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in documentation during that time period.

One of the earliest known references to the name ERWAY can be found in the records of the city of Heidelberg, where a certain Hans Erwegh is mentioned as a resident in the year 1567.

In the 17th century, the ERWAY surname gained prominence in the town of Zweibrücken, located in modern-day Rhineland-Palatinate. Historical documents from this period mention a family of vintners and landowners bearing the name Erweg.

Notable individuals with the surname ERWAY throughout history include Johann Erweg (1632-1701), a master woodcarver whose works adorned several churches in the Black Forest region. Another notable figure was Katharina Erweig (1715-1789), a renowned midwife who practiced in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau.

During the 18th century, the name ERWAY appeared in the records of the city of Mannheim, where a certain Friedrich Erway (1746-1812) was listed as a respected merchant and member of the town council.

In the 19th century, the name ERWAY gained some prominence in the field of academia with the birth of Wilhelm Erweg (1821-1895), a respected linguist and philologist who taught at the University of Heidelberg.

Another noteworthy individual was Anna Erweig (1872-1948), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Stuttgart, providing educational opportunities for women during a time when such initiatives were rare.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erway

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

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

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

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