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

Bancroft, 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 Bancroft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bancroft in America

Bancroft is the 6315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bancroft surname appeared 5,404 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bancroft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bancroft 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 Bancroft

The surname Bancroft has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ban" meaning "bone" and "croft" meaning "small enclosed field" or "farmstead." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived or worked on a small farm or enclosure near a place where bones or animal remains were kept or disposed of.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bancroft can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Bancroft" and "Bancrofte," indicating its longstanding presence in the country.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Bancroft who was a landowner in Lancashire, Northern England. This suggests that the name had already become established as a surname by this time. Another notable figure was Richard Bancroft (c. 1544-1610), who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1604 until his death. He played a significant role in the production of the King James Version of the Bible.

The name Bancroft is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bancroft in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, and Bancroft in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Bancroft surname, further solidifying its historical significance.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bancroft include Hubert Howe Bancroft (1832-1918), an American historian and ethnologist known for his extensive works on the history of the American West, and Anne Bancroft (1931-2005), an acclaimed American actress who won an Academy Award for her performance in the film "The Miracle Worker."

George Bancroft (1800-1891) was an American historian and statesman who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy and later as the United States Minister to the United Kingdom. He is best known for his monumental work, "History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent," which spanned multiple volumes and became a seminal work in the field of American history.

Mary Bancroft (1903-1997) was a Canadian novelist and playwright who is considered a pioneering figure in Canadian literature. Her novel "The Grass Still Grows" (1925) is regarded as one of the earliest works of modern Canadian fiction, exploring themes of rural life and the struggles of women in a patriarchal society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bancroft

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

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

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

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