The Kerwin surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,808 people carried this name — #8,635 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 77,500 people counted. That is up 7% from 3,573 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

Where the name comes from

The origin of the Kerwin surname

Variant of Kirwan.

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

In print

Kerwin in American newspapers,
1903–1907.

Newspaper page from The Bourbon News carrying the name Kerwin
The Bourbon News 1907-05-10
Newspaper page from The Courier-journal carrying the name Kerwin
The Courier-journal 1903-09-18
Newspaper page from The Republican carrying the name Kerwin
The Republican 1906-04-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 23,171 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Kerwin in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

6,105 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kerwin. The most, 1,245, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 3.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 4,119
New South Wales 1,056
Victoria 489
South Australia 222
Tasmania 120
Western Australia 67
ACT (Canberra) 16
Northern Territory 5

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

Who carried it

People named Kerwin,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James C. Kerwin
    James C. Kerwin 1850–1921 · judge
  • Patrick Kerwin
    Patrick Kerwin 1889–1963 · judge
  • Michael W. Kerwin 1831–1911
  • Patrick Kerwin 1873–1950 · politician
  • Hugh L. Kerwin 1873–1937
  • Dan Kerwin 1874–1960 · baseball player

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 Kerwin,
in the records of 7 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 States1,206 records

1,206 records of the Kerwin name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 516
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 251
  • Other U.S. records 439
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Francis L. Kerwin

    Born 1924 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at Utica; construction worker from Otsego County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at St Patrick's Cemetery, Oneida, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bridget Kerwin

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 23; servant. From Tipperary, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Revelry Lawrence Kerwin

    Born 1945; from Chicago, Illinois. U.S. Army, infantryman; died in an accident 1967 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,206 records for Kerwin in the United States.

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

Australia265 records

265 records of the Kerwin name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 134
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 75
  • Other Australian records 56
  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 Michael Kerwin

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lady Raffles, sailing from Portsmouth in 1840. Native of Roscommon.

    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 Fanny Kerwin

    Arrived in Queensland in 1884 aboard the Duke of Westminster, aged 19.

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

    Retired contractor of Koo Wee Rup, Victoria; died 1984.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 265 records for Kerwin in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (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).

Canada33 records

33 records of the Kerwin name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 24
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 4
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Edna Lucy Kerwin

    Died 1942 in Canning, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Ivan Kerwin

    Died 1977; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record John Kerwin

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 33 records for Kerwin 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. · 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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Germany26 records

26 records of the Kerwin 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 Emil Kerwin

    From Prinauen, Angerburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 2 September 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 45).

    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 Karl Kerwin

    From Salzbach, Rastenburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 8 April 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 24).

    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 Gustav Kerwin

    From Kl. Heinrichsdorf, Ragnit. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 22 February 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 41).

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

Showing 3 of 26 records for Kerwin 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).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the Kerwin name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Helena J. Kerwin

    In the population register of Nijmegen; born 1886.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Justin Kerwin

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born in New York.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Matthiew Kerwin

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1892 in Brooklijn.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Kerwin in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Kerwin name in New Zealand Marlborough District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Neston Kerwin

    Died 1973, aged 57; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Nestor Kerwin

    Died 1983, aged 74; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Nancy Alison Kerwin

    Died 2001, aged 76; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Kerwin in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District 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).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Kerwin name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Kerwin

    Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

    Northamptonshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    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 P. Kerwin

    Driver, Ojroyal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Kerwin.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Kerwin 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.

See the Kerwin volume
Scroll to Top