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

Northway, 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 Northway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Northway in America

Northway is the 25989th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Northway surname appeared 944 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 Northway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Northway 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 Northway

The surname Northway is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "norð" meaning north and "weg" meaning way or road. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a northern road or traveled frequently along a northern route.

The earliest known recording of the name Northway can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where it appears as "Northweye". This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.

In the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, the name is recorded as "Northwey", reflecting the common spelling variations that occurred during the Middle Ages. The Northway surname is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, further cementing its presence in various parts of England.

One notable figure bearing the Northway surname was John Northway, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Warwickshire during the 15th century. Records indicate that he was born around 1420 and died in 1489.

Another historical figure was William Northway, a prominent clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1523 to 1524. He was born in Suffolk in the late 15th century and passed away in 1536.

In the 16th century, the Northway surname can be found in various parish records throughout England, including those of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a Thomas Northway was christened in 1578.

During the 17th century, the Northway family had a significant presence in the county of Gloucestershire. Robert Northway, born in 1625, was a respected landowner and magistrate in the town of Cirencester.

Another notable figure was Edward Northway, a successful merchant and shipowner from Bristol, who lived from 1647 to 1712. He was involved in the lucrative trade with the American colonies and amassed considerable wealth during his lifetime.

The Northway surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Northway Hill in Gloucestershire and Northway Farm in Oxfordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the presence of Northway families in the area over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Northway

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

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

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

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