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

Twist, 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 Twist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Twist in America

Twist is the 21288th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Twist surname appeared 1,231 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 Twist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Twist 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 Twist

The surname Twist has its origins in England, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "twist," meaning a winding or twisted path, or a crooked and meandering course. It may have initially been used as a descriptive name to identify someone who lived along a twisting road or path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Twist can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from the year 1195, where a person named Willelmus Twist is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, with a reference to a Robert le Twist.

During the medieval period, the name Twist was predominantly found in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Oxfordshire, suggesting that these areas may have been the original strongholds of the name.

In the 16th century, the name Twist was also associated with several place names, such as Twistleton in Staffordshire and Twistleton Hall in Lancashire. These place names likely derived from the surname, indicating the presence of families bearing the name in those locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Twist throughout history include:

1. Sir John Twist (1585-1659), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Woodstock during the English Civil War.
2. William Twist (1786-1845), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.
3. Oliver Twist, the famous fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his novel "Oliver Twist," published in 1838.
4. John Twist (1785-1861), an English industrialist and cotton spinner who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Lancashire.
5. Sir Martin Twist (1923-2000), a British businessman and former Chairman of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).

While the surname Twist has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and the mobility of families over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Twist

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

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

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

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