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

Nowland, 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 Nowland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nowland in America

Nowland is the 22646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nowland surname appeared 1,133 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 Nowland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nowland 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 Nowland

The surname Nowland is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "nowan" and "land," which together mean "new land" or "newly cultivated land." This name likely originated in medieval England during the 12th or 13th century when landowners and farmers were beginning to clear and cultivate previously uncultivated areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nowland can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William Nowland is listed. The name also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, indicating that it was present in various parts of England during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Newland" or "Newelond," reflecting the various ways in which the Old English words were pronounced and written. These variations likely contributed to the eventual standardization of the spelling as "Nowland."

A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Nowland, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1483 and was a prominent figure in the city's commercial and political life.

Another significant individual with the surname Nowland was Robert Nowland, an English composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the organist at the Chapel Royal in London and composed various sacred and secular works during his lifetime.

During the 17th century, the Nowland family had a presence in the county of Gloucestershire, where they held lands and estates. One member, Richard Nowland, was a Justice of the Peace and a prominent landowner in the area during the 1600s.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Captain John Nowland, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He commanded several ships in the Royal Navy and participated in various battles against the American colonies.

Another individual of note was Thomas Nowland, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in recognition of his work.

As the centuries passed, the Nowland surname continued to be found throughout various regions of England, as well as in parts of Scotland and Ireland, reflecting the migration patterns of families bearing this name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nowland

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!