2000
#4,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.69
Rare Last name
Newland
A habitational surname denoting someone from a new settlement or recently cultivated land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,447 Americans carry the last name Newland. That puts it at #4,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,577 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Newland 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 Newland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,577
Census rank
#4,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,366 bearers of the surname Newland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Newland, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Newland
The surname Newland is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the Old English words "niwe" meaning "new" and "land" referring to a newly cultivated or cleared area of land.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Neuuelande" and "Neulande." This suggests that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name was predominantly found in the counties of Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. Some notable examples include Adam de Newlande, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1227, and Walter de Neulande, recorded in the Assize Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1237.
As the name spread across England, various spelling variations emerged, such as Newland, Newlands, Newlande, and Newlend. These variants often reflected the local dialects and scribal practices of the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Newland (c. 1350-1417), a prominent English merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1391. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in trade negotiations with the Hanseatic League.
Another notable figure was Thomas Newland (c. 1540-1617), an English Protestant minister and writer, who served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral from 1604 until his death.
In the 17th century, the name gained further prominence with Roger Newland (1631-1699), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tiverton in Devon from 1689 to 1699.
The 18th century saw the birth of Abraham Newland (1730-1807), a renowned English engraver and author of "An Abridgement of the Scholar's Instructor," a popular instructional book on writing and arithmetic.
In the 19th century, John Newland (1837-1898) made his mark as a British engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of early refrigeration systems and the design of the first dry air-cooled condenser.
While these are just a few examples, the Newland surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in English culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Newland
Among Census respondents with the surname Newland, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Newland 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 Newland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 6,188
- Black or African American7.3% · 535
- Two or more races3.9% · 285
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 264
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Newland
Newland 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
#4,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,491
+223 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.54
Rank movement Down 245 places
2020
#4,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,366
-125 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.46
Rank movement Up 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,490 | 7,268 | 2.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,735 | 7,491 | 2.54 | +223 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 245 places |
| 2020 | #4,671 | 7,366 | 2.46 | -125 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 64 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 Newland 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 | #4,735 | #4,671 | 1.4% |
| Count | 7,491 | 7,366 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.54 | 2.46 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Newland bearers went from 7,491 to 7,366 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,735 to #4,671.
FAQ
Newland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Newland?
Name Census estimates that about 8,447 living Americans carry the surname Newland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,577 residents.
How common is Newland?
Newland ranks #4,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,366 people with the surname Newland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,447), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Newland.
Has Newland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Newland went from 7,491 recorded bearers to 7,366. That is a decrease of 125 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,735 to #4,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Newland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Newland, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) 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 Newland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (6,188 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Newland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (7.3%), 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 Newland (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 Newland mean?
A habitational surname denoting someone from a new settlement or recently cultivated land. 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 Newland (2.46 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 Newland?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Newland on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.