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

Longwell, 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 Longwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Longwell in America

Longwell is the 14148th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Longwell surname appeared 2,124 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Longwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Longwell 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 Longwell

The surname Longwell has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, deriving from a place name where the first bearers of the surname lived or held land. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "lang" meaning long and "well" referring to a source of water or a spring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a William de Langewelle is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th century. The spelling variations found in historical records include Longwell, Longwill, Longvile, and Longueville.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to several places with names similar to Longwell, such as Langewelle and Longueville. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname.

One notable bearer of the Longwell name was Sir John Longwell (c. 1520 - 1594), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1573. Another was Thomas Longwell (1604 - 1679), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Longwell family settled in Scotland, where the name was sometimes spelled Longmuir. Robert Longmuir (1565 - 1638) was a Scottish minister and author who wrote a treatise on the Book of Revelation.

During the 17th century, some members of the Longwell family migrated to the American colonies. John Longwell (1625 - 1695) was one of the early settlers of Pennsylvania, arriving in the 1680s and establishing a farm in what is now Chester County.

Another notable figure was Sir Charles Longwell (1786 - 1863), an Irish architect and engineer who designed several prominent buildings in Dublin, including the Longwell Building at Trinity College.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the surname Longwell throughout history, reflecting its English origins and subsequent spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Longwell

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

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

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

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