Explore the Family Name Twist
The meaning of Twist
1. English (mainly Lancashire): probably a variant of Twiss, or possibly in a few cases a habitational name from Twist, a minor place in Devon, or Twist Wood in Brede, Sussex, both named from Old English twist, Middle English twist ‘something twisted or forked’. 2. English (mainly Lancashire): possibly a metonymic occupational name for someone in the cotton-spinning industry, whose responsibility was to combine threads into a strong cord, a sense of twist recorded from the 16th century. 3. North German: nickname from Middle Low German twist ‘argument, quarrel’ for a quarrelsome person. 4. German: habitational name from a place so named in Lower Saxony or Twiste in Hesse, probably referring to a ‘place of division or twisting of land or a boundary’ (as in 1 above). This surname is very rare in Germany.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Twist in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Twist experienced a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 20,124th most popular name in the U.S., but by 2010, its rank had dropped to 21,288th, representing a decrease of about 5.78%. The actual count of individuals bearing the surname also saw a minimal decrease from 1,232 in 2000 to 1,231 in 2010. This change in count represents a decrease of 0.08%. The proportion of people with the Twist surname per 100,000 also fell by 8.7% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,124 | #21,288 | -5.78% |
| Count | 1,232 | 1,231 | -0.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.46 | 0.42 | -8.7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Twist
The ethnicity associated with the Twist surname also showed some shifts between 2000 and 2010, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of people identifying as White and bearing the Twist surname decreased slightly from 86.85% in 2000 to 83.92% in 2010. Over the same decade, those identifying as having two or more races increased significantly from 1.70% to 3.57%, a change of 110%. The representation of the Hispanic ethnic identity rose modestly from 4.22% to 4.63%. Meanwhile, representation among Asian/Pacific Islanders and Blacks went down to zero, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a slight increase from 6.17% to 6.58%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.85% | 83.92% | -3.37% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 6.17% | 6.58% | 6.65% |
| Hispanic | 4.22% | 4.63% | 9.72% |
| Two or More Races | 1.7% | 3.57% | 110% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0.57% | 0% | 0% |