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

Birdshead, 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 Birdshead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birdshead in America

Birdshead is the 149395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birdshead surname appeared 110 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 Birdshead.

The history of the last name Birdshead

The surname BIRDSHEAD is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from an Old English phrase meaning "the head or chief of a group or clan." The name may have originally referred to the leader or chieftain of a particular community or village.

One of the earliest known references to the BIRDSHEAD name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, which mention a person named William Birdshead. In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records, such as the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire from 1221, which listed a Robert Byrdesheved.

The BIRDSHEAD surname is closely linked to several place names in England, particularly Birdshead Manor in Buckinghamshire and Birdshead Farm in Oxfordshire. These locations likely took their names from early BIRDSHEAD families who lived or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the BIRDSHEAD surname include Sir John Birdshead (c. 1330-1408), a renowned military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield. Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Birdshead (1585-1662), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Warwickshire, who donated funds for the construction of a local church and school.

In the 16th century, the BIRDSHEAD name appeared in various parish records, such as the baptismal register of St. Mary's Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, which recorded the christening of Thomas Birdshead in 1578. The name also surfaced in the court records of the Elizabethan era, with a John Birdshead mentioned in a legal document from 1592.

One of the most notable BIRDSHEAD figures in more recent history was Sir Henry Birdshead (1788-1864), a renowned explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to South America and wrote extensively about the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest. His journals and specimens contributed significantly to the understanding of the region's biodiversity.

Throughout the centuries, the BIRDSHEAD surname has been spelled in various ways, including Byrdeshead, Birdeshede, and Birdshed, reflecting the evolution of English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birdshead

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

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 Birdshead 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.

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

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

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