2000
#1,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,803
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.45
Uncommon Last name
Newsome
A habitational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "new houses" or "new village."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,182 Americans carry the last name Newsome. That puts it at #1,527 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,091 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Newsome 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 Newsome with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,091
Census rank
#1,527
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,832 bearers of the surname Newsome in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1527th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Newsome, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Newsome
The surname Newsome originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "niwe" meaning new, and "ham" meaning homestead or village. It likely referred to someone who had moved to a newly established settlement. The name was first found in Yorkshire, where the earliest records show it spelled as Newsom, Newsham, or Newsome.
One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Walter de Neusum, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also recorded a William de Newsom in Cambridgeshire. These early records indicate the name was present in various parts of England by the 13th century.
The Newsome name appeared in several historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where a John de Newsome was listed. Additionally, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 mentioned a Ricardus Newsom. These entries suggest the name was well-established in Yorkshire by the late medieval period.
During the 16th century, the spelling of the name became more standardized as Newsome. One notable bearer from this time was William Newsome, a merchant and member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers in York, who lived from around 1530 to 1590.
In the 17th century, the Newsomes were present in various parts of England, such as Yorkshire, Westmorland, and Northumberland. A notable figure was John Newsome, a clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Boxford, Berkshire, from 1643 until his death in 1663.
The 18th century saw the Newsome name continue to spread across England. Notable individuals included William Newsome (1697-1752), a clockmaker from Pontefract, Yorkshire, and Thomas Newsome (1732-1807), a prominent architect and surveyor who worked in Leeds and surrounding areas.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most famous bearers of the Newsome name was Robert Newsome (1791-1855), a renowned English poet and writer from Yorkshire. Additionally, John Newsome (1814-1887) was a pioneering coal mine owner and entrepreneur in Durham.
Throughout its history, the Newsome surname has been associated with various places in England, particularly in Yorkshire, where it originated. The name has evolved from its Old English roots, but its core meaning of "new homestead" has remained consistent over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Newsome
Among Census respondents with the surname Newsome, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Newsome 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 Newsome surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.1% · 12,571
- Black or African American36.9% · 8,428
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,033
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 644
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Newsome
Newsome 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
#1,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,958
+1,155 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 8.12
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#1,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,832
-1,126 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 7.64
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,438 | 22,803 | 8.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,491 | 23,958 | 8.12 | +1,155 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #1,527 | 22,832 | 7.64 | -1,126 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 36 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 Newsome 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 | #1,491 | #1,527 | -2.4% |
| Count | 23,958 | 22,832 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 8.12 | 7.64 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Newsome bearers went from 23,958 to 22,832 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,491 to #1,527.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Newsome
FAQ
Newsome surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Newsome?
Name Census estimates that about 26,182 living Americans carry the surname Newsome. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,091 residents.
How common is Newsome?
Newsome ranks #1,527 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,832 people with the surname Newsome. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Newsome.
Has Newsome become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Newsome went from 23,958 recorded bearers to 22,832. That is a decrease of 1,126 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,491 to #1,527.
What does the Census say about the background of Newsome?
Among Census respondents with the surname Newsome, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) 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 Newsome in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.1% (12,571 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Newsome appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.1%), Black (36.9%), 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 Newsome (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 Newsome mean?
A habitational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "new houses" or "new village." 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 Newsome (7.64 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 Americans have the surname Newsome?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.