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

Shotwell, 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 Shotwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shotwell in America

Shotwell is the 9181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shotwell surname appeared 3,553 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 Shotwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shotwell 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 Shotwell

The surname SHOTWELL is of English origin, traced back to the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in the Midlands region of England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "scotte" and "well," meaning "a spring or stream frequented by woodcocks or snipes." This suggests that the name initially referred to individuals who lived near such a water source teeming with these migratory birds.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Nottinghamshire, a census-like survey conducted in 1275 during the reign of King Edward I. The entry mentions a certain "William de Scottewell," residing in the village of the same name, now known as Scotwell.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Shottewell, Scowtwell, and Schottewell, reflecting the inconsistencies in written English during that period. One notable mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire from 1379, which listed a "John Shotwell" as a taxpayer.

The Domesday Book, the famous survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the SHOTWELL name. However, it does mention several locations with similar-sounding names, such as "Scotuuelle" in Nottinghamshire and "Scotwelle" in Derbyshire, which may have been early precursors to the modern surname.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the SHOTWELL surname was Sir John Shotwell (c. 1420-1492), a prominent English landowner and member of the gentry from Derbyshire. He served as a knight of the shire (a member of parliament) for Derbyshire in 1472.

Another notable figure was Reverend Thomas Shotwell (1652-1712), an English clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham for over three decades. He was known for his published sermons and religious writings.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Shotwell (1736-1792) was a prominent American Quaker from New Jersey. He was a vocal opponent of slavery and played a significant role in the early abolitionist movement in the United States.

Alfred Shotwell (1835-1908) was a 19th-century American author and historian, best known for his works on the history of New Jersey and the American Revolution.

Lastly, James Thomson Shotwell (1874-1965) was an influential American historian and diplomat. He served as a professor at Columbia University and was a leading figure in the establishment of the United Nations after World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shotwell

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

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

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

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