Explore the Family Name Belew

The meaning of Belew

1. Variant of Bellew 2, a surname of probable French origin (see Ballou 1 and 2). 2. English, Irish, and Scottish (of Norman origin): variant of Bellew 1. This form of the surname has apparently died out in Britain.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Belew in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Belew has increased slightly between 2000 and 2010. In terms of ranking, it moved from position 10,501 in 2000 to 10,427 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of around 0.7%. The number of individuals with this surname also grew by roughly 9.98% over this period, rising from 2,806 people in 2000 to 3,086 people in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 individuals also saw a slight increase, from 1.04 to 1.05.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#10,501	#10,427	0.7%
Count	2,806	3,086	9.98%
Proportion per 100k	1.04	1.05	0.96%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Belew

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Belew. The largest ethnic group identifying with this surname is White, although its representation decreased from 90.56% in 2000 to 85.97% in 2010. Meanwhile, there was a considerable increase in the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian/Alaskan Native. The most significant change occurred within the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, which saw an increase of 277.78% between 2000 and 2010 - although it's important to note that this group still only makes up a small proportion of those with the Belew surname.

	2000	2010	Change
White	90.56%	85.97%	-5.07%
Black	3.74%	6.16%	64.71%
Hispanic	2.89%	3.43%	18.69%
Asian/Pacific Islander	1.18%	2.17%	83.9%
Two or More Races	1.46%	1.59%	8.9%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0.18%	0.68%	277.78%