2000
#8,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,376
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Glidewell
An English occupational surname for someone who lived near a well or stream in a glade or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,718 Americans carry the last name Glidewell. That puts it at #9,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,188 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glidewell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,188
Census rank
#9,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,242 bearers of the surname Glidewell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glidewell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glidewell
The surname Glidewell originated in England and has its roots in the Old English language. It is believed to have been derived from the words "glidan" meaning "to glide" and "wella" meaning "stream" or "well". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a gently flowing stream or a well.
The earliest recorded instance of the Glidewell surname dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various medieval records and documents. One notable entry is found in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1273, which mentions a John de Glidewelle.
During the medieval period, the name was also sometimes spelled as Glydewelle, Glydewelle, or Glidewelle, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. Additionally, there are instances where the name was associated with specific locations, such as Glidewelle in Oxfordshire, which may have contributed to the surname's origins.
In the 16th century, the Glidewell surname appeared in the records of the Parish of Woodchurch, Kent, where a William Glidewell was mentioned in 1570. Another notable bearer of the name was John Glidewell, a scholar and clergyman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and served as the rector of Shillingstone, Dorset.
Moving forward to the 17th century, the Glidewell surname gained prominence with the birth of George Glidewell (1624-1689), an English clergyman and author. He was the rector of Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, and wrote several religious works, including "The History of the Great Revolt" and "The Doctrine of the Church of England."
Another notable individual with the Glidewell surname was John Glidewell (1714-1788), an English architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing several churches and buildings in and around London, including St. Mary's Church in Stoke Newington and the Mansion House in Guildhall.
In the 19th century, the Glidewell surname was carried by William Glidewell (1805-1881), an English businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Glidewell Book Company and donated significant funds to educational and charitable causes in his hometown of Warwick.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glidewell
Among Census respondents with the surname Glidewell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Glidewell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Glidewell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 2,966
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 120
- Two or more races3.3% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
- Black or African American0.5% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glidewell
Glidewell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,563
+187 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 245 places
2020
#9,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,242
-321 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 429 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,916 | 3,376 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,161 | 3,563 | 1.21 | +187 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 245 places |
| 2020 | #9,590 | 3,242 | 1.08 | -321 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 429 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Glidewell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,161 | #9,590 | -4.7% |
| Count | 3,563 | 3,242 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.08 | -10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glidewell bearers went from 3,563 to 3,242 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 429 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,161 to #9,590.
FAQ
Glidewell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glidewell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,718 living Americans carry the surname Glidewell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,188 residents.
How common is Glidewell?
Glidewell ranks #9,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,242 people with the surname Glidewell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,718), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Glidewell.
Has Glidewell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glidewell went from 3,563 recorded bearers to 3,242. That is a decrease of 321 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,161 to #9,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Glidewell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glidewell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Glidewell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (2,966 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glidewell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Glidewell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Glidewell mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who lived near a well or stream in a glade or clearing. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Glidewell (1.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Glidewell?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Glidewell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.