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

Bottoms, 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 Bottoms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bottoms in America

Bottoms is the 7620th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bottoms surname appeared 4,357 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bottoms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bottoms 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 Bottoms

The surname Bottoms is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word 'botm' which referred to a valley or a low-lying area of land. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name lived in or near a valley or low-lying region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bottoms name dates back to the late 12th century, where it appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199. This document lists a person named Robertus de Bothem, indicating that the name was in use during this time period and potentially derived from a place called Bothem or a similar variation.

The Bottoms surname can also be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and property ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. This historic document mentions a place called 'Bodemas' in Lincolnshire, which could be an early spelling or variant of the place name that gave rise to the Bottoms surname.

During the 13th century, a notable individual named William de Bottoms is recorded as being a landowner in the county of Derbyshire. Another early bearer of the name was John Bottoms, who was born around 1450 in Yorkshire and served as a member of the local militia.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Sir Thomas Bottoms (1503-1571) was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London. He made significant contributions to the city and was a benefactor of several charitable organizations.

Moving into the 17th century, Samuel Bottoms (1619-1692) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of All Saints' Church in Northampton. His published works include several religious treatises and sermons.

Another notable figure was Sir William Bottoms (1735-1818), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his distinguished service.

The Bottoms surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Bottoms Village in Derbyshire, Bottoms Farm in Yorkshire, and Bottoms Lane in Lincolnshire, further solidifying its connection to geographic locations and topographic features.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bottoms

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

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

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

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