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

BigBear, 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 BigBear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of BigBear in America

BigBear is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The BigBear surname appeared 111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname BigBear.

We can also compare 2010 data for BigBear 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 BigBear

The surname BIGBEAR has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from an Old English phrase describing a large, powerful bear, likely used as a nickname for someone of imposing stature or strength. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Bigbear," found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BIGBEAR name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201, which mentions a John Bigbear residing in Oxfordshire. Another early reference appears in the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1216, where a William Bigbear is listed as a landowner.

During the 13th century, the BIGBEAR name was primarily concentrated in the Midlands region of England, with several families recorded in counties such as Warwickshire and Leicestershire. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Bigbear, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I in the Welsh Wars of the late 13th century.

By the 14th century, the BIGBEAR name had spread to other parts of England, including Yorkshire and East Anglia. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 list a Thomas Bigbear as a taxpayer in the village of Burley, near Leeds. Another prominent figure from this period was John Bigbear, a wealthy merchant from Norwich who served as a city alderman in the 1370s.

In the 15th century, the BIGBEAR name continued to be found across various regions of England. The Subsidy Rolls of 1428 record a Richard Bigbear in Gloucestershire, while the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1453 mention a Robert Bigbear of Wymondham.

One of the most famous bearers of the BIGBEAR surname was William Bigbear, a wealthy landowner and justice of the peace from Warwickshire, who lived from 1520 to 1598. Another notable individual was Thomas Bigbear, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Lewes, Sussex, in 1557 during the Marian Persecutions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name BigBear

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

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

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

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