2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Newkirt
A locational surname originating from a place called Newkirk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Newkirt. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Newkirt 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Newkirt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Newkirt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and White (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Newkirt
The surname NEWKIRT is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "neowe" meaning "new" and "kirc" meaning "church," suggesting a connection to a newly established church or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1284, where a certain Richard de Newkyrke was mentioned. This spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
During the 14th century, the name Newkirt appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, where a William de Newkyrke was listed. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
Notable individuals bearing the surname NEWKIRT throughout history include:
1. Thomas Newkirt (c. 1520 - 1587), a merchant and alderman in the city of York during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Elizabeth Newkirt (1642 - 1718), a prominent Quaker preacher and author from Lancashire, known for her religious writings and activism.
3. John Newkirt (1721 - 1793), a renowned clockmaker from Yorkshire, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry of the time.
4. William Newkirt (1782 - 1864), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Military General Service Medal for his valor.
5. Mary Newkirt (1848 - 1922), a pioneering educationist and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first girls' schools in Lancashire.
The name NEWKIRT has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Newkirk in Cumbria and Newchurch in Lancashire, further reinforcing its historical roots in the region.
While the surname NEWKIRT is not among the most common in England today, its rich history and connections to the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire make it a fascinating example of the country's diverse surname heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Newkirt
Among Census respondents with the surname Newkirt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and White (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Newkirt 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 Newkirt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.4% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- White1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Newkirt
Newkirt appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-11 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,449 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 9,449 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 Newkirt 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 | #144,141 | #153,590 | -6.6% |
| Count | 115 | 104 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Newkirt bearers went from 115 to 104 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 9,449 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #153,590.
FAQ
Newkirt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Newkirt?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Newkirt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Newkirt?
Newkirt ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Newkirt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Newkirt.
Has Newkirt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Newkirt went from 115 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Newkirt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Newkirt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and White (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Newkirt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Newkirt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (89.4%), Hispanic (6.7%), White (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 Newkirt (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 Newkirt mean?
A locational surname originating from a place called Newkirk. 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 Newkirt (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Newkirt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.