Find out how popular the last name Bacon is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bacon.

Bacon, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bacon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bacon in America

Bacon is the 1181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bacon surname appeared 29,860 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Bacon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bacon to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bacon

The surname BACON is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "bacon" meaning "pork" or "pig." The name likely originated in the late 11th century, referring to someone who raised pigs or dealt in pork.

BACON is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia, England. This region was known for its pig farming and pork trade during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bachun."

Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, the BACON surname can be found in various medieval records and documents across England. For instance, a John Bacon is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1275. Another notable early bearer was Robert Bacon (c. 1238-1314), an English judge and landowner from Suffolk.

By the 15th century, the name had spread to other parts of England, including London. One of the most famous BACON bearers was Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579), an influential English politician and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under Queen Elizabeth I. His son, Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), was a renowned philosopher, statesman, scientist, and author, widely regarded as a leading figure of the scientific revolution.

Other notable individuals with the BACON surname include Roger Bacon (c. 1220-1292), an English philosopher and Franciscan friar who made significant contributions to the study of optics and natural sciences. Nathaniel Bacon (1647-1676) was a wealthy planter and leader of Bacon's Rebellion in colonial Virginia, a pivotal event in the history of the American colonies.

In the literary world, Delia Bacon (1811-1859) was an American writer and scholar known for her controversial theory that William Shakespeare's works were written by Sir Francis Bacon or a group of authors. Pea Bacon (1866-1936), born Walter Francis Scott, was an English music hall entertainer and comedian who popularized the comedic character "Pea" in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bacon

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bacon.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bacon was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bacon has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bacon was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bacon, please contact us.

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