2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bridegam
An archaic combination of bride and groom, referring to a person involved in arranging marriages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bridegam. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bridegam surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bridegam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridegam, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bridegam
The surname BRIDEGAM originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old English words "bryd" meaning bride and "gama" meaning man or groom. It is believed to have first emerged as an occupational surname for someone who assisted at weddings or managed the logistics of wedding ceremonies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BRIDEGAM surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like document compiled in 1273, which mentions a John le Bridgome. This suggests the name was already established by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, a variant spelling "Brydgrome" appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1327. This further reinforces the name's connection to the concept of a groom or bridegroom during weddings.
The BRIDEGAM surname is also documented in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. However, the name is not explicitly mentioned, but rather a place name "Bridgham" in Norfolk, which may have influenced the surname's evolution.
Notable individuals with the BRIDEGAM surname throughout history include:
1. William Bridegam (c. 1480 - 1556), a English merchant and alderman in the City of London.
2. John Bridegam (1567 - 1638), an English clergyman and author of religious works.
3. Thomas Bridegam (1617 - 1679), a English scholar and translator who published works on ancient Greek philosophy.
4. Elizabeth Bridegam (1698 - 1772), a landowner and philanthropist in Gloucestershire, known for her support of local churches and schools.
5. George Bridegam (1781 - 1857), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a member of parliament.
While the BRIDEGAM surname is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich historical lineage dating back to medieval England, with its origins deeply rooted in the traditions and occupations surrounding weddings and marriage ceremonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bridegam
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridegam, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bridegam bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bridegam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bridegam
Bridegam appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,383 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,383 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,795 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bridegam surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #141,140 | #150,935 | -6.9% |
| Count | 118 | 108 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bridegam bearers went from 118 to 108 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,795 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bridegam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bridegam?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bridegam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bridegam?
Bridegam ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Bridegam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bridegam.
Has Bridegam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bridegam went from 118 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bridegam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridegam, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bridegam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bridegam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bridegam (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bridegam mean?
An archaic combination of bride and groom, referring to a person involved in arranging marriages. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bridegam (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Bridegam?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bridegam? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.