2000
#6,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,673
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Lewallen
A habitational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,022 Americans carry the last name Lewallen. That puts it at #7,335 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,251 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lewallen 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
5.0K
1 in 68,251
Census rank
#7,335
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,379 bearers of the surname Lewallen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7335th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lewallen
The surname LEWALLEN has its origins in Wales, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Welsh word "llewelyn," which means "lion-like" or "lion-hearted." The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname LEWALLEN was John Lewallen, who was born in Glamorgan in 1587. Records show that he was a landowner and farmer in the village of Llantrisant. Another early bearer of the name was William Lewallen, born in Monmouthshire in 1612, who served as a soldier in the English Civil War.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the LEWALLEN surname began to spread beyond Wales as families migrated to other parts of Britain and eventually to the American colonies. In 1692, a Thomas Lewallen was listed in the records of the Virginia colony, suggesting that members of the family had already established themselves in the New World by that time.
One notable figure in the LEWALLEN lineage was Sir David Lewallen, a Welsh politician and landowner who lived from 1725 to 1803. He served as a Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire and was known for his advocacy of Welsh cultural preservation. Another prominent individual was Elizabeth Lewallen, born in 1778 in Glamorgan, who became a renowned poet and writer, publishing several collections of Welsh poetry and prose.
In the 19th century, the LEWALLEN surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Lewallen (1822-1891), a prominent industrialist who established several successful mining and manufacturing companies in Wales. His son, John Lewallen (1856-1933), followed in his footsteps and became a respected businessman and philanthropist, funding the construction of several schools and hospitals in the region.
Throughout its history, the LEWALLEN surname has maintained a strong association with Wales and its rich cultural heritage. While the name has spread around the world, its roots remain firmly planted in the valleys and communities of the Welsh countryside, where it has been a part of the linguistic and historical tapestry for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lewallen
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lewallen 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 Lewallen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 3,941
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 159
- Two or more races3.5% · 155
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 52
- Black or African American1.0% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lewallen
Lewallen 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
#7,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,686
+13 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Down 468 places
2020
#7,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,379
-307 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,667 | 4,673 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,135 | 4,686 | 1.59 | +13 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 468 places |
| 2020 | #7,335 | 4,379 | 1.47 | -307 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 200 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 Lewallen 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 | #7,135 | #7,335 | -2.8% |
| Count | 4,686 | 4,379 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.59 | 1.47 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lewallen bearers went from 4,686 to 4,379 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 200 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,135 to #7,335.
FAQ
Lewallen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lewallen?
Name Census estimates that about 5,022 living Americans carry the surname Lewallen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,251 residents.
How common is Lewallen?
Lewallen ranks #7,335 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 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 4,379 people with the surname Lewallen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,022), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 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 Lewallen.
Has Lewallen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lewallen went from 4,686 recorded bearers to 4,379. That is a decrease of 307 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,135 to #7,335.
What does the Census say about the background of Lewallen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Lewallen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (3,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lewallen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Lewallen (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 Lewallen mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a hill or mound. 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 Lewallen (1.47 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 surname Lewallen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.