2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Salaway
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Salaway, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Salaway. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salaway surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Salaway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salaway
The surname Salaway originates from England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sale" meaning "room" or "hall" and "weg" meaning "way" or "road," potentially indicating someone who lived near a prominent hall or roadway.
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, where a John Salaway was recorded as having been baptized in 1598. Additionally, the Salaway family is mentioned in the court records of Warwickshire from the early 17th century, suggesting their presence in the region during that period.
The first known bearer of the Salaway surname was Thomas Salaway, born in 1612 in the village of Rowington, Warwickshire. He was a landowner and farmer, and his descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations.
Another notable figure with the Salaway name was William Salaway, born in 1724 in Leamington Priors, Warwickshire. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist, known for his contributions to the local community, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children.
In the 19th century, the Salaway family expanded their reach beyond Warwickshire. One notable member was Henry Salaway, born in 1812 in Coventry, who became a renowned architect and was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including St. Pancras Station.
Another prominent individual with the Salaway surname was Elizabeth Salaway, born in 1867 in Manchester. She was a pioneering educator and advocated for women's rights, establishing one of the first all-girls schools in the city.
While the Salaway name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns. However, the majority of historical records and references to the surname can be traced back to its English origins, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire and the surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salaway
Among Census respondents with the surname Salaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Salaway bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Salaway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 98
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salaway
Salaway appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 6,598 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Salaway surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #149,446 | 4.2% |
| Count | 104 | 110 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salaway bearers went from 104 to 110 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 6,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #149,446.
FAQ
Salaway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salaway?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Salaway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Salaway?
Salaway ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Salaway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Salaway.
Has Salaway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salaway went from 104 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Salaway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Salaway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salaway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Black (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Salaway (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Salaway mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Salaway, England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Salaway (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Salaway?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.