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

Slaw, 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 Slaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Slaw in America

Slaw is the 89069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Slaw surname appeared 208 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 Slaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Slaw 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 Slaw

The surname SLAW has its origins in Germany and is believed to have derived from the German word "Schlau", which means "clever" or "cunning". It is likely that the name was originally given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as being particularly intelligent or shrewd.

This surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in medieval tax records and legal documents, often spelled as "Schlauw" or "Schlaue".

In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Hans Slaw (c. 1420-1490) was a respected scholar and author from Nuremberg, known for his works on philosophy and theology. His writings and teachings likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the surname.

Another notable individual was Johann Slaw (1532-1612), a German mathematician and astronomer from Nuremberg. He was instrumental in refining the Julian calendar and published several influential works on celestial mechanics.

During the 17th century, the name appears in various church records and municipal registers across Germany, with variations such as "Schlau", "Schlaue", and "Slauw". One notable individual from this period was Christoph Slaw (1606-1678), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Jena.

In the 18th century, the surname spread to other parts of Europe as Germans migrated and settled in different regions. One significant figure was Friedrich Slaw (1722-1801), a Prussian army officer and military strategist who served under Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.

Moving into the 19th century, the name continued to be prominent in Germany, with some individuals achieving recognition in various fields. For example, Carl Slaw (1813-1888) was a renowned German painter and lithographer known for his portraits and landscape works.

While the surname SLAW has its roots firmly planted in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and has evolved into various spellings and variations, such as "Slau", "Schlau", and "Schlauw". However, its origins can be traced back to the German meaning of "clever" or "cunning", reflecting the perception of intelligence and shrewdness associated with those who bore this name throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Slaw

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

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

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

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