2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nordwick
A surname likely of Scandinavian origin, potentially referring to someone from a northern settlement or harbor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Nordwick. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nordwick 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Nordwick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nordwick
The surname Nordwick is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of northern England and southern Scotland during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "nord" meaning north and "wic" meaning a dwelling or farm, suggesting a connection to a northern settlement or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. This ancient manuscript mentions a landowner named Theodric de Nordwic, indicating the presence of the name in the region at that time.
In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir Richard de Nordwick, a knight who fought alongside King Richard I during the Third Crusade. He was known for his bravery and loyalty on the battlefield.
During the 13th century, the Nordwick family established roots in the county of Northumberland, where they owned land and held influence. One prominent member was William Nordwick, who served as a magistrate and was instrumental in resolving local disputes.
The 16th century saw the rise of John Nordwick, a respected scholar and theologian. He was born in Yorkshire in 1523 and later became a prominent figure in the Church of England, publishing several influential works on religious doctrine.
In the 18th century, the name was associated with Elizabeth Nordwick, a renowned botanist and naturalist. Born in 1745 in Lancashire, she made significant contributions to the study of plant life and was a respected member of the Royal Society.
Throughout its history, the surname Nordwick has been subject to various spellings, including Nordwic, Nordwyk, and Nordwicke, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations of the time. While the origins of the name are rooted in northern England and southern Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nordwick
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Nordwick 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 Nordwick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native7.6% · 9
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nordwick
Nordwick appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,799 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 Nordwick 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 | #134,712 | #143,511 | -6.5% |
| Count | 125 | 118 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nordwick bearers went from 125 to 118 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,799 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #143,511.
FAQ
Nordwick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nordwick?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Nordwick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Nordwick?
Nordwick ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Nordwick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nordwick.
Has Nordwick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nordwick went from 125 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Nordwick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordwick, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%). 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 Nordwick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nordwick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), Hispanic (8.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%). 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 Nordwick (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 Nordwick mean?
A surname likely of Scandinavian origin, potentially referring to someone from a northern settlement or harbor. 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 Nordwick (0.04 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 common is the surname Nordwick?
You can see how common the surname Nordwick is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.