2000
#7,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,225
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Newport
A locational surname referring to someone from one of several places called Newport in England or Wales.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,746 Americans carry the last name Newport. That puts it at #7,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,220 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Newport 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 Newport with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,220
Census rank
#7,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,139 bearers of the surname Newport in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Newport, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Newport
Newport is an English surname that originated in the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the various places named Newport found across Britain. The name refers to a new town or village that was established near a port or harbor.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Newport can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire from 1272, there is a mention of a John de Neuport. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, the Newport surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Shropshire, Gloucestershire, and Buckinghamshire, where several towns and villages bore the name Newport. However, the name also appeared in other parts of England, indicating that people with this surname migrated from their original locations.
One notable historical figure with the surname Newport was Sir Andrew Newport (c. 1565-1624), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire. He was also appointed as High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1597 and later became Vice-Admiral of Shropshire.
Another prominent individual was Sir Francis Newport (1555-1623), an English lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1604 to 1611. He played a significant role in the early years of the reign of King James I.
In the 17th century, Christopher Newport (c. 1561-1617) was an English mariner and privateer. He is best known for his role in the early colonization of Virginia, leading the first permanent English settlers to Jamestown in 1607.
During the English Civil War, Sir Richard Newport (c. 1587-1675) was a prominent Royalist military commander who fought for King Charles I. He was appointed as the Governor of Shropshire and played a crucial role in defending the county against Parliamentary forces.
Another figure with this surname was Walter Newport (c. 1625-1688), an English MP and lawyer who served as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas from 1677 until his death.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Newport, which has its roots in the medieval English towns and villages that were established near ports and harbors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Newport
Among Census respondents with the surname Newport, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Newport 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 Newport surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 3,665
- Two or more races4.2% · 174
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 134
- Black or African American2.3% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Newport
Newport 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
#7,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,235
+10 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 542 places
2020
#7,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,139
-96 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,274 | 4,225 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,816 | 4,235 | 1.44 | +10 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 542 places |
| 2020 | #7,712 | 4,139 | 1.38 | -96 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 104 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 Newport 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 | #7,816 | #7,712 | 1.3% |
| Count | 4,235 | 4,139 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.38 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Newport bearers went from 4,235 to 4,139 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 104 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,816 to #7,712.
FAQ
Newport surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Newport?
Name Census estimates that about 4,746 living Americans carry the surname Newport. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,220 residents.
How common is Newport?
Newport ranks #7,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,139 people with the surname Newport. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,746), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Newport.
Has Newport become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Newport went from 4,235 recorded bearers to 4,139. That is a decrease of 96 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,816 to #7,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Newport?
Among Census respondents with the surname Newport, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (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 Newport in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (3,665 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Newport appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (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 Newport (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 Newport mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from one of several places called Newport in England or Wales. 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 Newport (1.38 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 have the last name Newport?
Find out how many people have the last name Newport on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.