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

Hewett, 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 Hewett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hewett in America

Hewett is the 5489th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hewett surname appeared 6,336 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hewett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hewett 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 Hewett

The surname Hewett has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'hig' meaning hay and 'wiht' meaning a small island or meadow, essentially referring to someone who lived on a hay meadow or in an area surrounded by hay fields.

Variations in the spelling of the name over time include Hewett, Hewitt, Hewet, Huett, and Hughitt. The name is found in historical records such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is recorded as 'Hewet' and 'Hewett'.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name is Richard Hewett, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1203, where a William Hewet is listed.

The Domesday Book of 1086 does not mention the surname directly, but it does include several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Huish in Somerset and Hewish in Wiltshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Hewett include Sir George Hewett (1567-1632), an English naval commander who served under Sir Walter Raleigh and was knighted by King James I. Another prominent figure was Sir William Hewett (1588-1659), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

Other examples of historical figures with the surname Hewett are John Hewett (1614-1658), an English clergyman and author; Michael Hewett (1624-1688), an English actor and playwright; and Joachim Hewett (1592-1675), a Dutch-born merchant and diplomat who served as the ambassador of the Dutch Republic to England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hewett

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

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

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

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