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

Bedell, 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 Bedell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bedell in America

Bedell is the 5783rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bedell surname appeared 5,989 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 Bedell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bedell 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 Bedell

The surname Bedell has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bedel," which means a messenger or a herald. The name likely referred to someone who held the position of a messenger or a crier in a medieval court or a manor.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bedellus." This entry suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

In the 12th century, the name Bedell was prevalent in the county of Norfolk, England. Several records from this period mention individuals with this surname, such as William Bedel, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199.

During the 13th century, the name Bedell spread to other parts of England, particularly in the counties of Suffolk, Essex, and Hertfordshire. One notable individual from this period was John Bedell, who was recorded as a landowner in Suffolk in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.

In the 14th century, the name Bedell appeared in various spellings, including Bedel, Bedill, and Beadell. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was William Bedell (1571-1642), an Anglican clergyman who served as the Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh in Ireland.

The 16th century saw the rise of another prominent figure named Gregory Bedell (1510-1551), who was a Roman Catholic priest and martyred during the English Reformation under the reign of Edward VI.

During the 17th century, the Bedell surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Bedell (1613-1693), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh, following in the footsteps of his namesake from the previous century.

Another notable individual with this surname was John Bedell (1633-1686), an English philosopher and theologian who was a follower of René Descartes and wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics.

As the centuries progressed, the Bedell surname continued to be prevalent across various regions of England, with some members of the family migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bedell

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

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

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

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