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

O'Dwyer, 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 O'Dwyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Dwyer in America

O'Dwyer is the 19075th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Dwyer surname appeared 1,427 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 O'Dwyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Dwyer 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 O'Dwyer

The surname ODWYER is of Irish origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Duibhir, which means 'descendant of the dark one' or 'descendant of the black-haired one'. The name is believed to have originated in County Tipperary, Ireland.

The ODWYER clan was one of the most prominent families in the region of Kilnamanagh in County Tipperary during the Middle Ages. They were lords of the territory and played a significant role in the conflicts between the Anglo-Norman invaders and the native Irish clans.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 12th century. The Annals mention an ODWYER chieftain named Domnall O'Duibhir, who was killed in 1185.

Another notable mention of the name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a 17th-century chronicle of medieval Irish history. It records the death of Maolmuire ODWYER, the Lord of Kilnamanagh, in 1282.

A famous bearer of the ODWYER name was Sir James ODWYER, an Irish soldier and landowner who lived in the 16th century. He served as a captain in the army of Queen Elizabeth I and was granted lands in County Tipperary for his loyalty to the English crown.

Another prominent figure was Andrew ODWYER (1555-1642), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Limerick from 1600 to 1642. He played a crucial role in preserving the Catholic faith in Ireland during the turbulent times of the English Reformation.

In the 18th century, Michael ODWYER (1737-1795) was a notable Irish rebel who fought against English rule during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was a leader of the United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group, and was eventually captured and executed for his role in the uprising.

John ODWYER (1819-1888) was an Irish-American philanthropist and businessman who made his fortune in the California gold rush. He donated large sums of money to support Catholic education and charities in California and Ireland.

The ODWYER surname has evolved over time, with various spellings such as O'Dwyer, O'Dyer, and Dwyer appearing in historical records. Many bearers of this name can trace their ancestry back to the ancient territory of Kilnamanagh in County Tipperary, Ireland, where the ODWYER clan once held significant power and influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Dwyer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Dwyer.

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 O'Dwyer 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 O'Dwyer 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 O'Dwyer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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