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

Rawlinson, 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 Rawlinson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rawlinson in America

Rawlinson is the 12999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rawlinson surname appeared 2,362 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rawlinson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rawlinson 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 Rawlinson

The surname Rawlinson has its origins in England, and it can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "raha" and "wynn," which together mean "meadow of the roe deer." This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a meadow where roe deer were found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where it appears as "Rawlinsonus." This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th or early 13th century.

The Rawlinson surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled as "Rawlynson." This document provides valuable insights into the distribution of the name during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Rawlinson surname was John Rawlinson (c. 1520–1580), an English legal writer and judge. He was known for his work on the statute laws of England and served as Chief Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Rawlinson (1647–1722), an English bibliophile and collector of manuscripts. He amassed a vast collection of books, manuscripts, and antiquities, which he bequeathed to the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford upon his death.

In the 18th century, Richard Rawlinson (1690–1755) was an English clergyman, antiquarian, and topographer. He served as a canon of St. Paul's Cathedral and was known for his extensive collection of manuscripts and books, which he donated to the University of Oxford.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir Christopher Rawlinson (1809–1888) was a British civil engineer and military officer. He made significant contributions to the development of water supply and sanitation systems in India and played a crucial role in the construction of the Ganges Canal.

Lastly, Henry Creswicke Rawlinson (1810–1895) was a renowned British diplomat, soldier, and Assyrian scholar. He was instrumental in the decipherment of cuneiform inscriptions and made numerous contributions to the study of ancient Mesopotamian history and culture.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the Rawlinson surname, which has its roots in the English countryside and has been associated with various fields, including law, academia, engineering, and archaeology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rawlinson

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

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

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

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