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

Norwich, 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 Norwich surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Norwich in America

Norwich is the 77012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Norwich surname appeared 249 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 Norwich.

We can also compare 2010 data for Norwich 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 Norwich

The surname Norwich originated in England, deriving its name from the city of Norwich in the county of Norfolk. The name dates back to the 12th century, with the earliest known spelling being "Norwic." The name itself is believed to be of Old English origin, with "nor" meaning "north" and "wic" meaning "dwelling" or "settlement," essentially translating to "the northern settlement."

Norwich was an important city during the Middle Ages, known for its textile industry and wool trade. The name first appeared in historical records in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Norwic." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Norwich was William de Norwich, a prominent landowner and baron who lived in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was John Norwich (c. 1292-1363), a Franciscan friar and scholar who served as a tutor to the children of King Edward III.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Norwyche," "Norwych," and "Norrwych." One notable bearer of the name during this period was Sir Walter Norwich (c. 1420-1479), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk.

As the surname spread across England, it was sometimes associated with place names similar to Norwich, such as Northwich in Cheshire. This led to variations like "Northwych" and "Northwiche" appearing in historical records.

Other notable individuals with the surname Norwich include:

1. John Norwich (1510-1579), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. George Norwich (1594-1668), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
3. John Norwich (1640-1689), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
4. John Julius Norwich (1929-2018), a renowned English author and historian known for his works on the Byzantine Empire and Mediterranean history.

While the surname Norwich has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the historic city of Norwich in Norfolk, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname in the 12th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Norwich

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

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

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

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