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

Birdsong, 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 Birdsong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birdsong in America

Birdsong is the 6220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birdsong surname appeared 5,498 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Birdsong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birdsong 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 Birdsong

The surname Birdsong is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is an example of a locational surname, derived from a place name where the first bearers of the name resided. The name likely originated in areas with a significant population of birds, possibly near wooded areas or regions with abundant birdlife.

The earliest recorded occurrence of the surname Birdsong dates back to the 13th century. It appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a certain William de Byrdesange was mentioned. This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have derived from the Old English words "brydes" meaning bird and "sang" meaning song or melody.

During the medieval period, the surname Birdsong was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It is believed that some of the early bearers of the name may have been associated with occupations related to birdcatching or falconry, which were popular pursuits among the nobility and gentry.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Birdsong was John Byrdsong, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1365. Another notable figure was Robert Birdsong, a landowner from Gloucestershire who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1523.

In the 16th century, the surname Birdsong appears in various records, including the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, where a certain William Birdsong was recorded as having been baptized in 1588.

During the 17th century, the name continued to be found in various parts of England. One prominent figure was Thomas Birdsong, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the transatlantic trade and is mentioned in the port records of the city in the 1670s.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Birdsong, who was born in Oxfordshire in 1692 and later married into the influential Hastings family. Her son, John Hastings-Birdsong, became a respected clergyman and served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Coventry from 1745 until his death in 1781.

In the 18th century, the surname Birdsong continued to be found across various regions of England, with records indicating families bearing the name in counties such as Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. One notable figure from this period was William Birdsong, a renowned botanist and gardener who was born in Gloucestershire in 1725 and is credited with introducing several new plant species to England from his travels abroad.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Birdsong spread to other parts of the English-speaking world, with bearers of the name eventually settling in various parts of the British Empire, including North America and other regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birdsong

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

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

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

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