Newnam last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Newnam is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Newnam.

Meaning of Newnam

A modern variant of the surname Newnham, referring to someone from the new village or estate.

Newnam, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Newnam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Newnam in America

Newnam is the 27002nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Newnam surname appeared 898 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Newnam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Newnam to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 27002 25028 7.59%
Count 898 931 -3.61%
Proportion per 100k 0.30 0.35 -15.38%

The history of the last name Newnam

The surname NEWNAM has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "neowe" meaning "new" and "ham" meaning "home" or "village." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who settled in a newly established village or hamlet.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name NEWNAM can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England. This suggests that individuals bearing the name were present in England during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, various spellings of the name appeared in historical documents, such as Neuham, Newenham, and Neweham. These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.

One notable figure with the surname NEWNAM was Sir John Newnam, a prominent landowner and knight who lived during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century. Records indicate that he held significant estates in Oxfordshire and played an active role in local affairs.

Another individual of note was Thomas Newnam, a merchant and civic leader in Bristol during the 16th century. He served as Mayor of Bristol in 1557 and was instrumental in promoting trade and commerce in the city during a period of economic growth.

In the 17th century, the NEWNAM surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where records show a William Newnam was born in 1624. He later emigrated to the American colonies, settling in Massachusetts.

During the 18th century, the NEWNAM name gained prominence in the Caribbean. John Newnam, born in 1712 in Barbados, became a successful plantation owner and was involved in the sugar trade.

In the 19th century, Edward Newnam, born in 1841 in London, made his mark as a renowned architect. He designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall, which was completed in 1871 and remains an iconic landmark in London.

Throughout its history, the NEWNAM surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, civic leaders, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Newnam

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Newnam.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Newnam was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.98% 826
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.23% 29
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.56% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.00% 9
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.78% 16
Hispanic Origin 1.45% 13

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Newnam has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.98% 92.91% -1.01%
Black 3.23% 2.47% 26.67%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.56% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.78% 3.11% -54.40%
Hispanic 1.45% 0.97% 39.67%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Newnam was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Newnam, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Newnam last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/newnam-surname-popularity/.

"Newnam last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/newnam-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Newnam last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/newnam-surname-popularity/.

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