2000
#2,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,533
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.28
Uncommon Last name
New
A surname referring to someone who was a newcomer to a village or town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,020 Americans carry the last name New. That puts it at #3,091 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,325 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the New 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 New with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,325
Census rank
#3,091
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,354 bearers of the surname New in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3091st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname New, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for New
Among Census respondents with the surname New, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how New 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 New surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 9,757
- Black or African American4.5% · 511
- Two or more races3.9% · 441
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 409
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 173
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 63
Timeline
Historical Census data for New
New 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
#3,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,903
+370 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 4.04
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#3,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,354
-549 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.80
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,858 | 11,533 | 4.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,011 | 11,903 | 4.04 | +370 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #3,091 | 11,354 | 3.80 | -549 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 80 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 New 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 | #3,011 | #3,091 | -2.7% |
| Count | 11,903 | 11,354 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.04 | 3.80 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of New bearers went from 11,903 to 11,354 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,011 to #3,091.
FAQ
New surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname New?
Name Census estimates that about 13,020 living Americans carry the surname New. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,325 residents.
How common is New?
New ranks #3,091 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,354 people with the surname New. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,020), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname New.
Has New become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname New went from 11,903 recorded bearers to 11,354. That is a decrease of 549 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,011 to #3,091.
What does the Census say about the background of New?
Among Census respondents with the surname New, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 New in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (9,757 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
New appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Black (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 New (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 New mean?
A surname referring to someone who was a newcomer to a village or town. 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 New (3.80 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 New?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.