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

Newton, 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 Newton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Newton in America

Newton is the 443rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Newton surname appeared 74,092 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 25 people would have the surname Newton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Newton 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.

The history of the last name Newton

The surname Newton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "niwe" meaning new and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, essentially describing a new town or village. This name likely originated in the 11th century during the Norman conquest of England.

The earliest recorded instances of the Newton surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and settlements across England following the Norman conquest. Entries for places like Newton in Cheshire, Newton in Lancashire, and Newton in Yorkshire all appear in this historical record.

In the 12th century, the surname began appearing in official records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1166 which listed a Richard de Neuton in Nottinghamshire. The spelling variations at the time included Neuton, Neweton, and Newetoun, reflecting the evolving nature of the name.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Newton surname was Sir John Newton, a 14th-century English landowner and knight who served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in 1322. Another notable figure was Thomas Newton (c.1542-1607), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Bristol.

Isaac Newton (1642-1727), the renowned English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and natural philosopher, is undoubtedly the most famous bearer of the Newton surname. His groundbreaking work on the laws of motion, universal gravitation, and the development of calculus has had a profound impact on scientific advancement.

Other notable individuals with the Newton surname include Alfred Newton (1829-1907), an English zoologist and ornithologist, and Huey P. Newton (1942-1989), the co-founder and leader of the Black Panther Party, a prominent African-American revolutionary socialist organization.

The Newton surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Newton Abbot in Devon, Newton-le-Willows in Merseyside, and Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, further emphasizing its deep roots in the country's history and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Newton

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

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 Newton was:

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 Newton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Newton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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