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

Bradbury, 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 Bradbury surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bradbury in America

Bradbury is the 4343rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bradbury surname appeared 8,172 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bradbury.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bradbury 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 Bradbury

The surname Bradbury has its origins in the English county of Derbyshire. It is a locational surname, derived from the settlement of Bradbury, which means "broad fort" or "broad dwelling." The name is first recorded in the 13th century, with the spelling variations including Bradbury, Bradebury, and Braddeburi.

One of the earliest known references to the Bradbury name is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert de Bradebury in Derbyshire. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Bradeberie.

In the 14th century, a family of Bradburys held lands in the parish of Glossop, Derbyshire. This branch of the family produced several notable individuals, including John Bradbury (c.1350-1412), a member of the gentry who served as a justice of the peace.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Thomas Bradbury (1595-1670) was a prominent Puritan minister and chaplain to the Parliamentary forces. He was known for his fiery sermons and support for the cause of Oliver Cromwell.

In the 18th century, the Bradbury name was well-established in Lancashire and Yorkshire, with several families in the textile trade. One notable figure was Samuel Bradbury (1753-1816), a prominent cotton manufacturer and philanthropist in Manchester.

The Bradbury name also has a strong literary connection. The English poet and novelist Thomas Bradbury (1736-1798) was a significant figure in the Romantic movement, known for his pastoral poetry and translations of ancient Greek works.

Another famous Bradbury was the American writer Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), the author of acclaimed works such as "Fahrenheit 451," "The Martian Chronicles," and "The Illustrated Man." He was one of the most celebrated science fiction writers of the 20th century.

Throughout its history, the Bradbury surname has been associated with various places, including Bradbury in Derbyshire, Bradbury in Cheshire, and Bradbury in Lancashire. These locations likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the name across different regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bradbury

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

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

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

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