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

Bridgeman, 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 Bridgeman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bridgeman in America

Bridgeman is the 7520th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bridgeman surname appeared 4,424 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 Bridgeman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bridgeman 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 Bridgeman

The surname Bridgeman is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "brycg" meaning bridge and "man" meaning an attendant or keeper. The name was given to those individuals who were responsible for maintaining and overseeing bridges, which were crucial structures in medieval times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where a certain William le Bridgeman is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" in this early spelling indicates the occupational nature of the surname.

The Bridgeman surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Richard le Bridgeman is listed. This record suggests that the name was not confined to a single region but was present in different parts of England during the medieval period.

In the 15th century, the surname began to be spelled in its more modern form, as evidenced by the mention of a John Bridgeman in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1459.

One notable individual with the Bridgeman surname was Sir Orlando Bridgeman (1609-1674), who served as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under King Charles II. He was born in Teddington, Middlesex, and his family had long been associated with the legal profession.

Another prominent figure was Sir Francis Bridgeman (1648-1737), an English sailor and politician who served as First Lord of the Admiralty. He was born in Greenford, Middlesex, and had a distinguished naval career before entering Parliament.

In the literary world, the name is associated with Richard Bridgeman (1532-1598), an English theologian and author of several religious works, including "A Concertation of Scripture" and "A Descant on the Apocalypse."

The Bridgeman surname also has connections to the field of horticulture. John Bridgeman (1677-1741) was a prominent gardener and landscape architect who designed several notable gardens in England, including those at Claremont House and Stowe.

Lastly, mention should be made of William Bridgeman (1779-1864), an English engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam locomotives and railways. He was born in Shropshire and is credited with designing and building one of the earliest successful steam-powered vehicles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bridgeman

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

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

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

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