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

Birden, 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 Birden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birden in America

Birden is the 32302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birden surname appeared 713 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 Birden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birden 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 Birden

The surname BIRDEN is believed to have originated in Scotland, specifically in the Shetland Islands. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "byrðr," which means "burden" or "load." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked as a porter or carried goods for a living.

The earliest recorded instance of the name BIRDEN can be traced back to the early 16th century. A document from 1523 mentions a "William Birden" who was a merchant in the town of Lerwick, Shetland Islands. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.

Another notable bearer of the name BIRDEN was John Birden, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a farmer and landowner in the Shetland Islands, and his name appears in several land records from that period.

In the 18th century, the name BIRDEN was found in the English county of Northumberland. A man named Robert Birden, born in 1724, was a prominent figure in the town of Alnwick. He was a successful merchant and served as a local magistrate.

One of the most notable individuals with the surname BIRDEN was Sir James Birden (1789-1861), a Scottish politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for the Orkney and Shetland constituency from 1835 to 1857.

Another interesting figure with the BIRDEN surname was Mary Birden (1822-1898), a Scottish writer and poet. She was born in the Shetland Islands and published several collections of poetry and prose works, many of which focused on the culture and traditions of the islands.

While the name BIRDEN is relatively uncommon, it has been found in various parts of the British Isles, particularly in Scotland and northern England. Its origins can be traced back to the Shetland Islands, where it likely began as an occupational surname related to carrying goods or burdens.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birden

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

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

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

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