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

New, 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 New surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of New in America

New is the 3011th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The New surname appeared 11,903 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname New.

We can also compare 2010 data for New 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 New

The surname "New" originates from England and is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "niwe," which means "new" or "fresh." This name was likely given to someone who had recently arrived in a particular area or settlement, or to someone who had taken up a new occupation or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "New" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "le Newe" and "de Novo," reflecting its Norman-French influence during that time.

In the 13th century, records show the name "New" associated with various place names, such as Newbiggin, Newbold, and Newbury, indicating that some individuals bearing this surname may have originated from or resided in these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname "New" throughout history include:

1. John New (c. 1520 - c. 1590), an English composer and organist during the Tudor period.
2. Sir John New (1594 - 1670), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.
3. William New (1786 - 1853), an English engraver and painter known for his landscape etchings.
4. Reuben New (1819 - 1898), an American Baptist minister and educator who served as the President of Central Baptist College in Arkansas.
5. Harry S. New (1858 - 1937), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Postmaster General under President Woodrow Wilson.

The surname "New" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including artists, politicians, religious leaders, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name New

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

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

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

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