2000
#5,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,958
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.21
Rare Last name
Bridge
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near or worked on a bridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,572 Americans carry the last name Bridge. That puts it at #5,816 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bridge 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bridge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 52,154
Census rank
#5,816
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,731 bearers of the surname Bridge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5816th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bridge
The surname BRIDGE is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "brycg," meaning a raised path across a river or valley. It likely originated as a topographical name, referring to someone who lived near a bridge or worked as a bridge keeper or toll collector.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname BRIDGE dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brige" in Worcestershire. This suggests the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records as "Atte Brigge" and "Attebrugge," reflecting the common practice of using the preposition "atte" (at the) before a place name or topographical feature.
During the Middle Ages, the name was also associated with the village of Bridge in Kent, known as "Brige" in the Domesday Book. This may have contributed to the surname's prevalence in that region.
Notable individuals with the surname BRIDGE include Sir John Bridge (c. 1500-1585), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was William Bridge (1600-1670), a Puritan minister and member of the Westminster Assembly.
In the 18th century, Reverend William Bridge (1694-1768) was a notable English clergyman and author, known for his work "A Vindication of the Worship of the Church of England." Thomas Bridge (1710-1789), an English carpenter and architect, was responsible for the design of several churches and public buildings in the town of Waltham Abbey.
In the 19th century, Sir Frederick Bridge (1844-1924) was a renowned English organist and composer who served as the organist at Westminster Abbey for over 30 years. He was widely respected for his contributions to English church music.
These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence and prominence of the surname BRIDGE throughout English history, with its roots dating back to the Norman Conquest and its association with various occupations, locations, and notable individuals over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bridge
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bridge 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 Bridge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 5,001
- Black or African American4.0% · 232
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 216
- Two or more races3.5% · 202
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bridge
Bridge 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
#5,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,933
-25 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Down 444 places
2020
#5,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,731
-202 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.92
Rank movement Up 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,383 | 5,958 | 2.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,827 | 5,933 | 2.01 | -25 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 444 places |
| 2020 | #5,816 | 5,731 | 1.92 | -202 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 11 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 Bridge 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 | #5,827 | #5,816 | 0.2% |
| Count | 5,933 | 5,731 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.01 | 1.92 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bridge bearers went from 5,933 to 5,731 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,827 to #5,816.
FAQ
Bridge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bridge?
Name Census estimates that about 6,572 living Americans carry the surname Bridge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,154 residents.
How common is Bridge?
Bridge ranks #5,816 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,731 people with the surname Bridge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,572), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bridge.
Has Bridge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bridge went from 5,933 recorded bearers to 5,731. That is a decrease of 202 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,827 to #5,816.
What does the Census say about the background of Bridge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Bridge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (5,001 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bridge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Black (4.0%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Bridge (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 Bridge mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near or worked on a bridge. 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 Bridge (1.92 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 many people are called Bridge?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Bridge at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.