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

Overway, 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 Overway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Overway in America

Overway is the 64559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Overway surname appeared 308 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 Overway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Overway 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 Overway

The surname "OVERWAY" is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be a locational surname derived from the Old English words "ofer" meaning "over" and "weg" meaning "way" or "road," referring to someone who lived near a particular road or pathway.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire, where a Thomas Overway was recorded in 1587. Another early record mentions a John Overway from the village of Boreham in Essex, England, in 1612.

The name has also been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Overweigh, Overaway, and Overaweigh. These variations likely arose from differences in local dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices of the time.

Interestingly, the name "OVERWAY" appears to have been more prevalent in certain regions of England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. This could suggest that the name may have originated in one of these areas and then spread to other parts of the country through migration.

One notable individual with this surname was Robert Overway (1623-1683), a yeoman farmer from the village of Great Waltham in Essex. Records indicate that he owned substantial land holdings and was involved in local governance as a parish officer.

Another person of note was Elizabeth Overway (1746-1819), who was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, and later became a successful businesswoman in London, running a successful millinery shop in the city's fashionable West End.

In the 19th century, a certain William Overway (1822-1897) from Colchester, Essex, gained recognition as a talented landscape painter, with several of his works being exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts.

The name "OVERWAY" also appears in historical records from the United States, with some of the earliest immigrants bearing this surname arriving in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. One such individual was John Overway, who settled in Virginia in 1635, according to colonial records.

Another noteworthy figure was Samuel Overway (1789-1872), a prominent abolitionist and advocate for women's rights, who was born in Massachusetts to English parents. He was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and served as a delegate to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Overway

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

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

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

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