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

Bainbridge, 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 Bainbridge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bainbridge in America

Bainbridge is the 9751st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bainbridge surname appeared 3,324 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bainbridge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bainbridge 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 Bainbridge

The surname Bainbridge is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the place name Bainbridge, a village in the Yorkshire Dales region of northern England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "bæcen" meaning "beacon" and "brycg" meaning "bridge," referring to a bridge near a signaling beacon.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bainbridge can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it appears as "de Baynbrygg." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name is mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it is listed as "Baynbryg." This historical record provides valuable insights into the early distribution and prevalence of the surname in Yorkshire.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name appears to have stabilized to its modern form of "Bainbridge." This can be seen in the Wills and Administrations of Yorkshire from 1543, which include the entry "Bainbridge, William, of Askrigg."

One notable individual bearing the Bainbridge surname was Christopher Bainbridge (c. 1462-1514), an English prelate who served as Archbishop of York and later as a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.

Another prominent figure was Commodore William Bainbridge (1774-1833), a naval officer in the United States Navy who commanded the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. His daring exploits and victories against the British earned him widespread recognition.

In the literary realm, the name is associated with Beryl Bainbridge (1932-2010), an acclaimed English novelist and playwright who was nominated for the Booker Prize five times throughout her prolific career.

The Bainbridge surname also has connections to the world of science. Emilia Bainbridge (1800-1873) was a British botanist and bryologist who made significant contributions to the study of mosses and liverworts in the 19th century.

Additionally, the surname has been linked to the town of Bainbridge, Ohio, which was established in the early 19th century and likely named after the naval commander William Bainbridge.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bainbridge

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

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 Bainbridge 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 Bainbridge 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 Bainbridge was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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