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

Bankhead, 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 Bankhead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bankhead in America

Bankhead is the 9210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bankhead surname appeared 3,540 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 Bankhead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bankhead 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 Bankhead

The surname Bankhead has its origins in England, dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "banc" and "heafod," which together translate to "top of the hill" or "head of the slope." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a prominent geographical feature.

Records indicate that the Bankhead surname first appeared in the historical county of Lancashire in northern England. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where a person named Adam de Bankheved is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the Bankhead surname began to spread to other parts of England, particularly to the neighboring counties of Yorkshire and Cheshire. The name is also found in various medieval manuscripts and records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and the Placita de Quo Warranto of 1292.

The Bankhead family established themselves as landowners and prominent figures in several English towns and villages. For instance, in the 14th century, a branch of the family owned lands in the village of Bankhead near Burnley in Lancashire.

Notable individuals with the Bankhead surname include:

1. John Bankhead (c. 1530-1601), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Preston during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Sir James Bankhead (1610-1676), an English lawyer and politician who served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of King Charles II.

3. Agnes Bankhead (1641-1714), an English Quaker author and activist who wrote several religious tracts and was imprisoned for her beliefs.

4. John Bankhead (1738-1833), an American soldier and pioneer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later helped establish settlements in Tennessee.

5. Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), an American actress of stage and screen, known for her husky voice and outrageous personality. She was a member of the prominent Bankhead family of Alabama.

While the Bankhead surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States, due to immigration and migration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the hills and slopes of medieval Lancashire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bankhead

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

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

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

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