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

Bickerstaff, 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 Bickerstaff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bickerstaff in America

Bickerstaff is the 14749th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bickerstaff surname appeared 2,014 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 Bickerstaff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bickerstaff 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 Bickerstaff

The surname Bickerstaff is of English origin, emerging in the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bicker" meaning a small wooden vessel or bowl, and "staef" meaning staff or stick. This suggests the name may have referred to a maker or seller of wooden bowls and utensils.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Bykerstalfe is listed. The surname is also found in various forms such as Bykerstaffe, Bykerstaf, and Bickerstath in medieval records from Lancashire and Yorkshire.

In the 16th century, the Bickerstaff family was well-established in Cheshire, with records showing a Thomas Bickerstaff born around 1560 in Middlewich. His grandson, Isaac Bickerstaff (1634-1708), was a noted English satirist and pamphleteer who used the pseudonym "Isaac Bickerstaff" to mock astrologers and almanac makers of the time.

Another notable bearer of the name was the 18th-century playwright and poet Isaac Bickerstaffe (1733-1812), who is sometimes confused with his namesake, the satirist. Bickerstaffe wrote several successful comedies and operas, including the popular play 'The Recruiting Officer' (1706).

In the 19th century, the Bickerstaff family had connections to the textile industry in Lancashire. A prominent figure was Sir Isaac William Bickerstaffe (1815-1898), a successful cotton manufacturer and philanthropist who served as the Mayor of Blackburn in 1864.

Other historical figures with the surname include Sir Robert Bickerstaffe (1722-1796), a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, and John Bickerstaffe (1858-1940), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the Mayor of Winnipeg in the early 20th century.

Overall, the surname Bickerstaff has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the ancient English vocabulary and the trades of woodworking and utensil-making. Despite variations in spelling, the name has endured and been carried by notable individuals in fields ranging from literature and politics to industry and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bickerstaff

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

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

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

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