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

Hewitt, 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 Hewitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hewitt in America

Hewitt is the 1191st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hewitt surname appeared 29,694 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Hewitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hewitt 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 Hewitt

The surname Hewitt has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hiwan" or "hywan," meaning a household servant or a member of a household. The name may have initially referred to someone who worked in the household of a prominent family or landowner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Huiet." This record suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name evolved into various spellings, such as "Hewet," "Hewett," and "Hewitt." These variations likely arose from regional pronunciations and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

The surname Hewitt is also closely associated with certain place names in England. For example, the village of Hewitt in Gloucestershire and the town of Hewitt in Somerset may have contributed to the adoption of the name by families residing in those areas.

One notable individual bearing the surname Hewitt was Sir John Hewitt (c. 1470-1537), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Henry VIII.

Another prominent figure was Sarah Hewitt (c. 1624-1683), an English Quaker preacher and author who wrote extensively on religious topics and advocated for women's rights.

In the 18th century, John Hewitt (1714-1767) was a distinguished English composer and organist who contributed significantly to the development of church music.

Moving into the 19th century, William Hewitt (1809-1888) was a prominent English writer and journalist who published works on various historical and literary subjects.

Lastly, Charles Gordon Hewitt (1885-1920) was a Canadian entomologist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of insects and their impact on agriculture.

These examples demonstrate the longevity and diverse accomplishments associated with the Hewitt surname throughout history, spanning various fields and regions across England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hewitt

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

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

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

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