2000
#9,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Newbold
From the Old English for "new dwelling," referring to someone who lived at a newly constructed house.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,932 Americans carry the last name Newbold. That puts it at #9,146 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,170 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Newbold 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 Newbold with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,170
Census rank
#9,146
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,429 bearers of the surname Newbold in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9146th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Newbold, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Newbold
The surname Newbold is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'niwe' meaning new and 'bold' meaning a dwelling or house. It was initially used as a topographic name for someone who lived in a newly built house or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Newbold dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as a place name in Derbyshire. The entry mentions a landowner named Godric de Newbold, who held lands in the area.
In the 13th century, the name is found in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Robert de Newbold from Leicestershire. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301, referring to a John de Newbold.
During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in different variations, including Newebold, Newbalde, and Newbolt, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and regional dialects.
Notable individuals with the surname Newbold throughout history include Sir Roger Newbold (1553-1629), an English politician and landowner who served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1608. Another prominent figure was Thomas Newbold (1760-1823), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on religious topics.
In the 19th century, John Newbold (1841-1923) was a respected English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and represented the English national team on several occasions. William Newbold (1819-1886) was a British civil engineer who worked on the construction of railroads in South America.
Sir Henry Newbolt (1862-1938) was a renowned English poet, novelist, and historian who is best known for his patriotic verses, including the famous poem "Vitai Lampada." He was also a prominent figure in the Edwardian literary scene and served as the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1919 to 1922.
While the name Newbold is primarily associated with England, it has also been found in other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the English countryside, where it originated as a name denoting a new settlement or dwelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Newbold
Among Census respondents with the surname Newbold, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Newbold 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 Newbold surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 2,811
- Black or African American9.5% · 326
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 130
- Two or more races3.6% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Newbold
Newbold 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
#9,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,384
+182 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 263 places
2020
#9,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,429
+45 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,340 | 3,202 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,603 | 3,384 | 1.15 | +182 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 263 places |
| 2020 | #9,146 | 3,429 | 1.15 | +45 bearers (+1.3%) | Up 457 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 Newbold 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 | #9,603 | #9,146 | 4.8% |
| Count | 3,384 | 3,429 | 1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.15 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Newbold bearers went from 3,384 to 3,429 (+1.3% change). The surname moved up 457 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,603 to #9,146.
FAQ
Newbold surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Newbold?
Name Census estimates that about 3,932 living Americans carry the surname Newbold. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,170 residents.
How common is Newbold?
Newbold ranks #9,146 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 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 3,429 people with the surname Newbold. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,932), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 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 Newbold.
Has Newbold become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Newbold went from 3,384 recorded bearers to 3,429. That is an increase of 45 (+1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,603 to #9,146.
What does the Census say about the background of Newbold?
Among Census respondents with the surname Newbold, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Newbold in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (2,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Newbold appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (9.5%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Newbold (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 Newbold mean?
From the Old English for "new dwelling," referring to someone who lived at a newly constructed house. 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 Newbold (1.15 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 are called Newbold?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Newbold on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.