The Dewey surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,249 people carried this name — #2,926 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,100 people counted. That is up 1% from 12,174 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dewey surname

Possibly from a place name in Northern France, Douai. Welsh origin from Dewi (David) has also been suggested.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dewey» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Dewin’.

An early record he cites: Willelmus Dewyn, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Dewey, Dewy and Dewing.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 239 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 261 people named Dewey live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 221
City of Buenos Aires 40

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

130 families named Dewey, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 776 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 6 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 39
Connecticut 32
Vermont 30
New York 14
New Hampshire 7
North Carolina 4
Rhode Island 2
Pennsylvania 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 237 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dewey in American newspapers,
1838–1895.

Newspaper page from The Philipsburg Mail carrying the name Dewey
The Philipsburg Mail 1895-10-24
Newspaper page from The Lafayette Gazette carrying the name Dewey
The Lafayette Gazette 1895-11-02
Newspaper page from Piney Woods Planter And Amite Union Literary Reflector carrying the name Dewey
Piney Woods Planter And Amite Union Literary Reflector 1838-05-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 10,824 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dewey in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1990s.

9,209 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dewey. The most, 4,027, date from the 1940s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,465
Queensland 1,992
Victoria 1,382
Western Australia 845
South Australia 783
Tasmania 513
ACT (Canberra) 147
Northern Territory 50

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dewey.

Who carried it

People named Dewey,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Daniel Dewey
    Daniel Dewey 1766–1815 · judge
  • Chester Dewey
    Chester Dewey 1784–1867 · physicist
  • Orville Dewey
    Orville Dewey 1794–1882 · writer
  • Mabel Barratt Jones Maddison d. 1944
  • Dorothy Catherine Holt d. 1968
  • Marjorie Florence Isobel Dodds d. 1988

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dewey,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,477 records

1,477 records of the Dewey name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 442
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 401
  • Other U.S. records 634
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Valere H. Dewey

    Born 1918 in New York. Enlisted 1941 at Syracuse; store manager from Cortland County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1994, buried at Fort Hill Cemetery, Auburn, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Elliott Dewey

    Born 1946; from Glencoe, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, pioneer; killed in action 1967 in Khanh Hoa, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Dewey

    Arrived at New York in 1851 aboard the Vanguard from Liverpool, aged 26; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,477 records for Dewey in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia110 records

110 records of the Dewey name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 53
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 25
  • Other Australian records 32
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Dewey

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Roslyn Castle, sailing from Downs in 1828. Native of Washingborough, Lincolnshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1841.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Dewey

    Arrived in Queensland in 1884 aboard the Duke of Argyll, aged 5.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John B. Dewey

    Manager of Kew, Victoria; died 1923.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 110 records for Dewey in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands84 records

84 records of the Dewey name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 65
  • Dutch population registers 15
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eildert de Wey

    Married in 1833 in Leeuwarden; baker. Died 1853 in Leeuwarden, aged 46.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jantje de Wey

    Born 1835 in Ooststellingwerf. Died 1915 in Ooststellingwerf, aged 79.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Geertje de Wey

    Born 1909 in Weststellingwerf. Married in 1930 in Weststellingwerf.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 84 records for Dewey in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada41 records

41 records of the Dewey name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 19
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 7
  • Other Canadian records 15
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Henry William Dewey

    Died 1990, aged 74; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Gladys Mary Seales Dewey

    Buried in 1947 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Elizabeth Dewey

    Died 1932 in Trenton, Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 41 records for Dewey in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the Dewey name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 7
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Henry Edward Dewey

    Will proved in 1925; of Blk, Blk.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Dewey

    Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. W. Dewey

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Dewey in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany5 records

5 records of the Dewey name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Josef Dewey

    From Boisheim, Kempen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 21 June 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 161).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johann Dewey

    From Alpsray, Mörs. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 1 June 1917; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 21 January 1919.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Willy Dewey

    From Bosheim, Dülken. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 1 June 1915.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Dewey in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Dewey name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Matilda Dewey

    Died 1897, aged 52; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Henry Dewey

    Died 1902, aged 82; buried at Rutherford Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Amy Sarah Dewey

    Died 1904, aged 53; buried at Rutherford Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Dewey in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Dewey name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Dorothy Dewey

    Born 1915 in the United States; died 1999 in the United States.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dewey.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dewey is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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