Explore the Family Name Idowu

The meaning of Idowu

West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Ìdòwú, a circumstance name traditionally given to any child, male or female, next born after a pair of twins.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Idowu has significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 54,020 in terms of popularity but rose by 34.22% to rank 35,537 in 2010. The count of individuals with this surname also saw a substantial jump during this decade. There were 358 people named Idowu in the 2000 census, and this figure grew by an impressive 76.82%, to 633 in the 2010 census. This rise is reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which increased from 0.13 in 2000 to 0.21 in 2010, marking a 61.54% growth.

20002010Change
Rank#54,020#35,53734.22%
Count35863376.82%
Proportion per 100k0.130.2161.54%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Idowu

The ethnicity breakdown of the surname Idowu shows interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010 as recorded in the Decennial U.S. Census. In both years, there were no identifications under Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or American Indian and Alaskan Native categories. The Idowu surname was most commonly found within the Black ethnic group, accounting for 92.46% in 2000 and increasing by 3.37% to 95.58% in 2010. The percentage of those who identified as White or belonging to two or more races decreased, from 1.96% to 1.11% and 4.19% to 2.05% respectively.

20002010Change
Black92.46%95.58%3.37%
Two or More Races4.19%2.05%-51.07%
White1.96%1.11%-43.37%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%