2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Medway
A surname derived from a town situated on the River Medway in Kent, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Medway. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Medway 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Medway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Medway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Medway, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Medway
The surname Medway originates from the county of Kent in England, where it is derived from the River Medway, a significant waterway that stretches across the county. The name likely emerged in the Middle Ages, reflecting the geographical location or proximity of early bearers to the River Medway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Medwai" or "Medwaye." This historical record suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, possibly indicating its Anglo-Saxon roots.
During the 13th century, the spelling "Medway" became more prevalent, as evidenced by its appearance in various medieval records and documents. For instance, a certain Robert de Medway was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1227, indicating the surname's association with the region.
The surname Medway may also have ties to specific place names along the River Medway, such as Aylesford, Maidstone, or Rochester. These locations were historically significant and could have influenced the development of the surname.
Notable historical figures bearing the surname Medway include:
1. John Medway (c. 1490-1555), an English Protestant reformer and theologian.
2. Sir Ralph Medway (c. 1510-1582), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Kent during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
3. Thomas Medway (c. 1570-1633), an English clergyman and author of religious works.
4. Edward Medway (1615-1677), an English soldier who fought in the English Civil War.
5. Margaret Medway (1695-1768), an English philanthropist and benefactor of several charitable institutions in Kent.
While the surname Medway has its roots in the county of Kent, it has since spread to other parts of England and beyond, carried by individuals who migrated or relocated over the centuries. The name remains a testament to the geographical and historical significance of the River Medway in the region's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Medway
Among Census respondents with the surname Medway, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Medway 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 Medway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 10
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Medway
Medway 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+19 bearers (+18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,562 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-18 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.3%) | Up 9,562 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 16,540 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 Medway 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 | #136,449 | #152,989 | -12.1% |
| Count | 123 | 105 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Medway bearers went from 123 to 105 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 16,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #152,989.
FAQ
Medway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Medway?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Medway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Medway?
Medway ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Medway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Medway.
Has Medway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Medway went from 123 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Medway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Medway, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Medway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Medway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (9.5%), Black (1.9%). 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 Medway (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 Medway mean?
A surname derived from a town situated on the River Medway in Kent, England. 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 Medway (0.04 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 common is the surname Medway?
See how common the surname Medway is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.