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

Twiss, 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 Twiss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Twiss in America

Twiss is the 17290th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Twiss surname appeared 1,637 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 Twiss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Twiss 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 Twiss

The surname Twiss is of English origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "twiccian," which means "to pluck" or "to twitch," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a habitual facial tic or nervous habit.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Twiss surname can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a legal document from 1198, which mentions a person named Ralph Twiss. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire from 1230, where a Robert Twiss is listed.

The Twiss surname is particularly concentrated in parts of Warwickshire and Staffordshire, indicating that these areas may have been the initial homelands of families bearing this name. Some historical records suggest a connection to the villages of Twycross and Twyford, whose names contain the Old English word "twiccian."

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named John Twiss (c. 1325-1388) was recorded as a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. He is mentioned in several historical documents, including the city's tax records, and is believed to have played a significant role in the local trade and commerce of the time.

Another notable individual with the Twiss surname was Sir Travers Twiss (1809-1897), a renowned English jurist and writer on international law. He served as a judge in the British Admiralty Court and was a prominent figure in the development of maritime law.

In the literary world, Francis Twiss (1760-1827) was an English writer and traveler who published several books, including a travelogue titled "Travels through Portugal and Spain" in 1792, which documented his journeys through the Iberian Peninsula.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Twiss family also had a presence in the county of Essex, where several members were recorded as landowners and gentry. One such individual was William Twiss (1575-1646), who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Maldon in Essex.

Sir John Twiss (1775-1857), a British naval officer and hydrographer, made significant contributions to the field of cartography and navigation. He served as a surveyor and cartographer for the Royal Navy and published numerous charts and maps of various regions, including the British Isles and the Mediterranean.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Twiss

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

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

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

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