Explore the Family Name Dwight
The meaning of Dwight
English (Buckinghamshire): probably a variant of Twite, from various places called with Old Norse thveit ‘clearing’ (see Thwaites). Alternatively, it may be a variant of Tuite. History: Timothy Dwight (1752–1817), Congregational minister, author, and president of Yale College (1795–1817), was the dominant figure in the Established Order of CT. He was born in Northampton, MA, a descendant of John Dwight, who came from Dedham, England, in 1635 and settled in Dedham, MA, and the grandson of Jonathan Edwards, the great theologian of American Puritanism.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dwight in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Dwight" has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, dropping from the 13,707th most popular surname to the 14,312th. However, despite this drop in ranking, the count of individuals with this surname actually increased by about 3.06%, from 2,029 in 2000 to 2,091 in 2010. As a proportion per 100k people, there was a small decline of -5.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,707 | #14,312 | -4.41% |
| Count | 2,029 | 2,091 | 3.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.75 | 0.71 | -5.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dwight
In terms of ethnicity, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the Dwight surname is predominantly associated with those identifying as White, making up 68.05% of individuals with that name in 2010, down slightly from 69.00% in 2000. Those identifying as Black make up the second largest group at 24.06% in 2010, a minimal change from 24.20% in 2000. The Hispanic population with the Dwight surname saw an increase of 12.68%, and those identifying with two or more races experienced the largest growth at 34.05%. Meanwhile, the Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a modest increase, whereas the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a decrease of 17.19%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69% | 68.05% | -1.38% |
| Black | 24.2% | 24.06% | -0.58% |
| Two or More Races | 2.32% | 3.11% | 34.05% |
| Hispanic | 2.76% | 3.11% | 12.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.08% | 1.15% | 6.48% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.64% | 0.53% | -17.19% |