NameCensus.

UK surname

Ewing

From the Old English for "friend" or "companion," or referring to someone from the parish of Ewan in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 2,773 people recorded with the Ewing surname, ranking it #1,607 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,327, ranked #2,045, down from #1,607 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Bonhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stonehouse, IZ11 and Ibrox.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ewing is 3,381 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.0%.

1881 census count

2,773

Ranked #1,607

Modern count

3,327

2016, ranked #2,045

Peak year

2010

3,381 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ewing had 2,773 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,607 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,327 in 2016, ranked #2,045.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,198 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Ewing surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ewing surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ewing surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ewing over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,936 #1,499
1861 historical 1,993 #1,458
1881 historical 2,773 #1,607
1891 historical 2,863 #1,657
1901 historical 3,198 #1,752
1911 historical 874 #5,088
1997 modern 3,093 #2,071
1998 modern 3,221 #2,079
1999 modern 3,263 #2,069
2000 modern 3,258 #2,063
2001 modern 3,157 #2,083
2002 modern 3,233 #2,080
2003 modern 3,136 #2,096
2004 modern 3,158 #2,078
2005 modern 3,173 #2,044
2006 modern 3,215 #2,030
2007 modern 3,212 #2,051
2008 modern 3,295 #2,029
2009 modern 3,321 #2,057
2010 modern 3,381 #2,061
2011 modern 3,325 #2,062
2012 modern 3,271 #2,059
2013 modern 3,312 #2,071
2014 modern 3,322 #2,080
2015 modern 3,325 #2,052
2016 modern 3,327 #2,045

Geography

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Where Ewings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Bonhill, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stonehouse, IZ11, Ibrox, Largs Central and Cumbrae and Paisley Ferguslie. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Bonhill Dunbarton
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stonehouse South Lanarkshire
2 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
3 Ibrox Glasgow City
4 Largs Central and Cumbrae North Ayrshire
5 Paisley Ferguslie Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ewing

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ewing surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ewing

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ewing, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Ewing surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Ewing household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ewing is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ewing is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ewing falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ewing is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ewing, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ewing

The surname Ewing has its roots in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic personal name Eógann, which means "well-born" or "born of the yew tree." The name may have also been derived from the Old English word "ewing," meaning "ewe" or "female sheep."

Early records show that the Ewing family was prominent in the Scottish Borders region and Lanarkshire. The name is found in the Black Book of Paisley, a 16th-century manuscript that records land transactions and legal disputes in the area around Paisley Abbey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is John Ewing, who was born in Scotland in the late 16th century and later emigrated to Ireland. He is considered the progenitor of many Ewing families in both Ireland and America.

The Ewing surname is also linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Ewingston in East Ayrshire and Ewing's Hill in Dumfries and Galloway. These place names likely derived from the Ewing family's presence and influence in those areas.

Notable individuals with the Ewing surname include:

1. James Ewing (1736-1806), an American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from Pennsylvania. 2. Thomas Ewing (1789-1871), an American politician who served as the Secretary of the Treasury under President William Henry Harrison and the first Secretary of the Interior under President Zachary Taylor. 3. Hugh Ewing (1826-1905), an American Baptist minister and educator who served as the president of several universities, including the University of Richmond. 4. Adlai Ewing Stevenson (1835-1914), an American politician and statesman who served as the 23rd Vice President of the United States under President Grover Cleveland. 5. Juliana Ewing (1841-1885), an English children's writer and novelist, best known for her works "Jackanapes" and "The Brownies."

While the Ewing surname has a strong Scottish heritage, it has since spread worldwide, with Ewing families found in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ewing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ewing surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 674 Ewings recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.74x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 674 7.74x
Renfrewshire 225 10.78x
Lancashire 185 0.58x
Stirlingshire 172 17.31x
Dunbartonshire 158 21.83x
Midlothian 158 4.38x
Middlesex 107 0.40x
Fife 97 6.08x
Perthshire 85 7.03x
Norfolk 83 2.00x
Aberdeenshire 70 2.81x
Yorkshire 69 0.26x
Ayrshire 68 3.37x
Angus 54 2.16x
Banffshire 52 9.31x
Surrey 47 0.36x
Clackmannanshire 46 20.68x
Northumberland 38 0.95x
Argyllshire 30 4.00x
Cheshire 29 0.49x
Wigtownshire 29 8.11x
Essex 27 0.51x
Hampshire 23 0.42x
Kinross-shire 21 30.84x
Cumberland 18 0.78x
Durham 15 0.19x
Buteshire 13 7.97x
Derbyshire 12 0.28x
Kent 11 0.12x
Roxburghshire 11 2.25x
Lincolnshire 10 0.23x
Devon 9 0.16x
Dumfriesshire 9 1.51x
Kincardineshire 8 2.44x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 2.05x
Peeblesshire 8 6.32x
Gloucestershire 7 0.13x
Sussex 7 0.15x
Warwickshire 7 0.10x
Hertfordshire 6 0.32x
Orkney 5 1.69x
Staffordshire 5 0.06x
Sutherland 5 2.41x
Somerset 4 0.09x
Worcestershire 4 0.11x
Bedfordshire 3 0.22x
Berkshire 3 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.12x
Denbighshire 2 0.20x
East Lothian 2 0.56x
Inverness-shire 2 0.25x
Ross-shire 2 0.27x
Shropshire 2 0.09x
West Lothian 2 0.49x
Berwickshire 1 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.09x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Monmouthshire 1 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Radnorshire 1 0.46x
Suffolk 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 216 Ewings recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.80x.

Place Total Index
Barony 216 9.80x
Govan 174 8.08x
Glasgow 97 6.27x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 64 4.41x
Bonhill 49 42.18x
Dumbarton 48 47.65x
St Ninians 41 41.64x
Dysart 38 35.39x
West Derby 38 4.06x
Abbey 35 10.99x
Stirling 34 27.15x
Alloa 30 27.81x
Dundee 29 3.11x
Falkirk 29 12.47x
Liverpool 29 1.49x
Cardross 28 32.22x
East Greenock 28 14.21x
Aberdeen Old Machar 26 4.99x
Paisley High Church 26 15.65x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 25 5.36x
Fordyce 25 62.19x
Maryhill 24 14.08x
Carluke 23 29.08x
Renfrew 23 33.37x
Cambusnethan 22 11.37x
Burntisland 18 40.38x
Cathcart 18 15.94x
Hamilton 18 7.41x
Stoneykirk 18 70.40x
Bethnal Green London 17 1.45x
Birkenhead 17 3.59x
Old Monkland 17 4.92x
West Greenock 17 4.54x
Eastwood 16 12.45x
Kirkdale 16 2.98x
New Monkland 16 6.21x
North Leith 16 9.58x
West Ham 16 1.36x
Dalserf 15 17.26x
Potter Newton 15 31.86x
Framingham Pigot 13 601.85x
Islington London 13 0.50x
Kirkintilloch 13 13.22x
Lambeth 13 0.55x
Orwell 13 69.26x
South Leith 13 3.20x
Auckinleck 12 19.23x
Blickling 12 418.12x
Elswick 12 3.75x
Kilbirnie 12 24.79x
Logie 12 27.67x
Blantyre 11 12.13x
Bothkennar 11 37.10x
Campbeltown 11 12.16x
Hackney London 11 0.73x
Middle Greenock 11 19.31x
Poringland 11 252.87x
Southampton St Mary 11 3.17x
Bothwell 10 4.23x
Clee With Weelsby 10 10.61x
Everton 10 0.98x
Gorton 10 3.33x
Jura 10 136.61x
Killearn 10 95.79x
Kinellar 10 186.92x
Moss Side 10 5.95x
Newington 10 1.01x
Port Glasgow 10 9.91x
Campsie 9 16.51x
Edmonton 9 4.15x
Hoyland Nether 9 13.75x
Kilbarchan 9 14.20x
Monzie 9 129.87x
Muirkirk 9 19.02x
Old Kilpatrick 9 10.52x
Rothesay 9 11.39x
Row 9 9.61x
Tranmere 9 4.12x
Tupton 9 70.98x
Worsley 9 4.57x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ewing surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ewing surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 53
James 38
William 32
Thomas 25
George 20
Robert 20
Alexander 14
Henry 13
Charles 8
Edward 8
Arthur 7
Daniel 7
David 7
Joseph 7
Peter 6
Samuel 6
Hugh 5
Walter 5
Andrew 4
Frank 4
Wm. 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Matthew 3
Adam 2
Albert 2
Archibald 2
Gilbert 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Robt. 2
Alix 1
Bartholomew 1
Basil 1
Bertie 1
Blake 1
Duncan 1
Frdk. 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Humphrey 1
I. 1
Jacob 1
Jessie 1
Jno. 1
Lauchlan 1
Lawrence 1
Louis 1
Luke 1
Wm.S. 1

FAQ

Ewing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ewing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,773 people were recorded with the Ewing surname. That placed it at #1,607 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ewing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,327 in 2016. That gives Ewing a modern rank of #2,045.

What does the Ewing surname mean?

From the Old English for "friend" or "companion," or referring to someone from the parish of Ewan in Scotland.

What does the Ewing map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ewing bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.