2000
#7,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,163
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Newlin
A surname derived from a place name meaning "new line," referring to a boundary or row of houses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,755 Americans carry the last name Newlin. That puts it at #7,696 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Newlin 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
4.8K
1 in 72,083
Census rank
#7,696
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,147 bearers of the surname Newlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7696th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Newlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Newlin
The surname Newlin is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "niwe" meaning new and "lyne" meaning line or boundary, suggesting that it may have been given to someone who lived on a newly established boundary or property line.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Newlin can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, dated 1296, where a William de Newelyne was listed. This early spelling variation of the name provides insight into its evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1349, which mentioned a John Newelyn. Another early reference can be found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Willelmus Neulyne was recorded.
During the 15th century, the surname Newlin began to appear in its more modern spelling. For instance, a John Newlyn was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1433, while a Thomas Newlyn was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1487.
One notable individual with the surname Newlin was Robert Newlyn (c. 1597–1688), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland. Another notable bearer of the name was Samuel Newlin (1754–1835), an American Quaker and prominent figure in the early settlement of Ohio.
Other individuals with the surname Newlin include John Newlin (1680–1762), an early settler in Pennsylvania and a member of the Provincial Assembly of Pennsylvania, as well as Hezekiah Newlin (1768–1843), an American surveyor and one of the founders of Newlin Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, the surname Newlin was also found in various locations across the United States, with families bearing the name settling in states such as Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Newlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Newlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Newlin 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 Newlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 3,687
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 155
- Two or more races3.2% · 131
- Black or African American2.5% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Newlin
Newlin 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
#7,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,175
+12 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 545 places
2020
#7,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,147
-28 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,381 | 4,163 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,926 | 4,175 | 1.42 | +12 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 545 places |
| 2020 | #7,696 | 4,147 | 1.39 | -28 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 230 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 Newlin 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 | #7,926 | #7,696 | 2.9% |
| Count | 4,175 | 4,147 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.39 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Newlin bearers went from 4,175 to 4,147 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 230 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,926 to #7,696.
FAQ
Newlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Newlin?
Name Census estimates that about 4,755 living Americans carry the surname Newlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,083 residents.
How common is Newlin?
Newlin ranks #7,696 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 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 4,147 people with the surname Newlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,755), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 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 Newlin.
Has Newlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Newlin went from 4,175 recorded bearers to 4,147. That is a decrease of 28 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,926 to #7,696.
What does the Census say about the background of Newlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Newlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Newlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (3,687 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Newlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Newlin (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 Newlin mean?
A surname derived from a place name meaning "new line," referring to a boundary or row of houses. 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 Newlin (1.39 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 Newlin?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Newlin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.