2000
#6,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,651
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.72
Rare Last name
Ewell
From the Old English "æwell," referring to a river source or spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,145 Americans carry the last name Ewell. That puts it at #7,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,619 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ewell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ewell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 66,619
Census rank
#7,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,487 bearers of the surname Ewell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ewell, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ewell
The surname Ewell traces its origins to England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ēa," meaning "river," and "well," meaning "spring" or "stream." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person living near a river or stream.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Ewell can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mention a person named Richard de Ewell. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, documenting landowners and their holdings throughout England.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form "Ewelle" in various records, including the Feet of Fines for Surrey from 1346, which mentions a John de Ewelle. The Feet of Fines were legal documents recording the transfer of land ownership.
The Ewell surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Ewell in Surrey and Ewell in Kent. These place names may have influenced the formation and spread of the surname in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Ewell throughout history include:
1. John Ewell (c. 1549 - 1614), an English composer and organist during the Renaissance period.
2. Richard Ewell (1817 - 1872), a Confederate lieutenant general during the American Civil War, known for his role in the Battle of Gettysburg.
3. Benjamin Stoddert Ewell (1810 - 1894), an American lawyer, politician, and president of the College of William & Mary from 1854 to 1888.
4. James Ewell Brown Stuart (1833 - 1864), a Confederate cavalry general during the American Civil War, known for his daring exploits and leadership.
5. Walter Ewell (1898 - 1981), an American basketball coach and athletic director at the University of Virginia, who led the team to several Southern Conference championships in the 1940s and 1950s.
While the Ewell surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through migration and family relocation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ewell
Among Census respondents with the surname Ewell, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ewell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ewell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.0% · 2,739
- Black or African American29.3% · 1,316
- Two or more races4.5% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 191
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ewell
Ewell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,794
+143 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 288 places
2020
#7,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,487
-307 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 194 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,700 | 4,651 | 1.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,988 | 4,794 | 1.63 | +143 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 288 places |
| 2020 | #7,182 | 4,487 | 1.50 | -307 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 194 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ewell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,988 | #7,182 | -2.8% |
| Count | 4,794 | 4,487 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.50 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ewell bearers went from 4,794 to 4,487 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 194 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,988 to #7,182.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ewell
FAQ
Ewell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ewell?
Name Census estimates that about 5,145 living Americans carry the surname Ewell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,619 residents.
How common is Ewell?
Ewell ranks #7,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,487 people with the surname Ewell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,145), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ewell.
Has Ewell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ewell went from 4,794 recorded bearers to 4,487. That is a decrease of 307 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,988 to #7,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Ewell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ewell, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ewell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.0% (2,739 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ewell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.0%), Black (29.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ewell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ewell mean?
From the Old English "æwell," referring to a river source or spring. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ewell (1.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Ewell?
See how many people are called Ewell on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.