Bighorn last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bighorn

A surname referring to the large wild sheep or mountain goats found in rocky areas.

Bighorn, 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 Bighorn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bighorn in America

Bighorn is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bighorn surname appeared 108 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 Bighorn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bighorn 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 151532 149328 1.47%
Count 108 101 6.70%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.04 0.00%

The history of the last name Bighorn

The surname Bighorn has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "big" and "horn," which were used to describe a prominent or large horn-like feature in the landscape. This surname was likely given to families who resided near such a geographical landmark.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bighorn can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1195, where a certain John Bighorn is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1275, which lists a Roger Bighorn as a resident of the county. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of England by this time.

The Bighorn surname is also associated with several place names in England. For instance, Bighorn Hill in Derbyshire and Bighorn Manor in Somerset were both named after families bearing this surname who owned lands in those areas.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bighorn was Sir William Bighorn (1325-1391), a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was rewarded with lands in Gloucestershire for his service.

During the 16th century, the Bighorn family gained prominence in the city of Bristol. Thomas Bighorn (1510-1578) was a successful merchant and served as the city's mayor in 1562. His son, Richard Bighorn (1545-1620), also held a prominent position as a member of the Bristol Corporation.

In the 17th century, the Bighorn surname can be found in various parish records across England. One notable figure was John Bighorn (1620-1689), a Puritan clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Colchester, Essex.

Another prominent individual was Sir Edward Bighorn (1650-1712), a baronet and landowner who represented the county of Suffolk in the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Anne.

As the centuries progressed, the Bighorn surname continued to be widespread throughout England, with families bearing this name contributing to various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bighorn

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

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 Bighorn was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 5.56% 6
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 77.78% 84
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.56% 6
Hispanic Origin 10.19% 11

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 Bighorn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 5.56% 17.82% -104.88%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 77.78% 72.28% 7.33%
Two or More Races 5.56% 4.95% 11.61%
Hispanic 10.19% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Bighorn last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bighorn-surname-popularity/.

"Bighorn last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bighorn-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Bighorn last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bighorn-surname-popularity/.

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