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

Unwin, 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 Unwin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Unwin in America

Unwin is the 35016th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Unwin surname appeared 644 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 Unwin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Unwin 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 Unwin

The surname Unwin has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "un" meaning "one" and "winnan" meaning "to labor" or "to toil." The name likely referred to a laborer or a worker who worked alone.

The earliest known record of the name Unwin is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, where a person named Robert Unwin is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Cambridgeshire Assize Rolls of 1260, which mentions a William Unwin.

In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and tenants, the name appears as Onewyn, which is considered an early spelling variation. This suggests that the name may have been derived from the Old English "ān" meaning "one" and "winnan" meaning "to labor" or "to toil."

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Unwin. However, it does mention place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Wynna, Wynneburn, and Wynnefeld.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Unwin was John Unwin, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1297.

Another notable individual with the surname Unwin was Thomas Unwin (c. 1516 – c. 1571), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, John Unwin (c. 1620 – 1675) was a prominent English Baptist minister and author. He played a significant role in the early development of the Baptist movement in England.

William Unwin (1718 – 1786) was an English clergyman and poet who is known for his friendship with the renowned poet William Cowper. Cowper dedicated several of his poems to Unwin.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname Unwin was Mary Unwin (1724 – 1796), who was a close friend and companion to the poet William Cowper. She helped him through periods of mental illness and was instrumental in his literary work.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Unwin

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

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

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

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