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

Scoville, 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 Scoville surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Scoville in America

Scoville is the 11241st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Scoville surname appeared 2,812 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 Scoville.

We can also compare 2010 data for Scoville 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 Scoville

The surname Scoville is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "scofel" meaning a shovel or spade, and "ville" meaning a village or town. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a village associated with shovel-making or related occupations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scoville can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, which mentions a John de Shovyll. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Schovyll, Shovyll, and Shoville, further indicating its connection to the Old English word "scofel." These early spellings were likely influenced by the local dialects and pronunciations of the time.

The Scoville name was particularly prominent in the counties of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, where it has been documented in historical records and parish registers dating back to the 15th century.

One notable individual bearing the Scoville surname was Sir John Scoville (c. 1440-1505), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1494 and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the endowment of educational institutions.

Another prominent figure was William Scoville (1570-1621), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1617 to 1619.

In the 17th century, the Scoville family established a presence in the American colonies, with records showing individuals such as John Scoville (1610-1672), who settled in Stratford, Connecticut, and Thomas Scoville (1620-1689), who was among the early settlers of Farmington, Connecticut.

One of the most notable individuals with the Scoville surname was Wilbur Lincoln Scoville (1865-1942), an American pharmacist and chemist. He developed the Scoville Organoleptic Test, a scale used to measure the pungency or heat of chili peppers, which became widely adopted in the food industry.

In literature, the Scoville name appeared in works such as "The Scoville Pedigree" by Samuel Scoville (1822-1891), a genealogical record of the Scoville family in America, tracing their lineage back to the 17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Scoville

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

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

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

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