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

Jewett, 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 Jewett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jewett in America

Jewett is the 4254th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jewett surname appeared 8,330 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Jewett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jewett 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 Jewett

The surname Jewett originated in England, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "jouette," meaning a small hill or mound. This reflects the name's geographic origins in areas with hilly or undulating terrain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1279, where it appears as "William de la Jouette." This suggests that the name was initially used as a locative surname, referring to someone living near or on a small hill.

The name underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including Jouet, Joyet, and Jowett, before settling into its modern form of Jewett. These variations can be found in historical records across different regions of England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire and Gloucestershire.

In the 16th century, the Jewett surname gained prominence with the birth of John Jewett (c. 1562-1615), an English prelate who served as Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1604 until his death. Another notable figure was Randolph Jewett (1611-1675), a merchant and landowner in Massachusetts, who is considered one of the early settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts.

The name also has connections to place names, such as Jewitt's Hill in Derbyshire, which may have derived its name from an early bearer of the surname. Additionally, the village of Jewitt's Ford in Berkshire is believed to have taken its name from a similar source.

Other notable individuals with the Jewett surname include:

1. Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909), an influential American novelist and short story writer from New England.
2. Freeborn Garrettson Jewett (1791-1858), an early American Methodist circuit rider and evangelist.
3. Hugh Jewett (1817-1898), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from Ohio.
4. Charles Coffin Jewett (1816-1868), an American librarian and bibliographer who served as the first Superintendent of the Boston Public Library.
5. Thomas Jewett (1767-1842), an American businessman and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Maryland.

While the Jewett surname has its origins in England, it has been carried across the globe by various individuals and families, making it a part of many countries' histories and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jewett

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

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

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

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