2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bridgen
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the bridge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Bridgen. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bridgen 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 Bridgen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Bridgen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bridgen
The surname BRIDGEN has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "brycg," meaning "bridge," and was likely an occupational name given to someone who lived or worked near a bridge.
One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1181, which mentions a person named Reginald de la Brugge. This early spelling variation, "de la Brugge," reflects the Norman-French influence on English surnames during that period.
Another early record mentioning the surname is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which includes the name John atte Brugge. The use of the preposition "atte" (meaning "at the") further supports the theory that the name was originally associated with a specific location or landmark.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Brugge, Brugger, and Brygger, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era. One notable individual from this time was William Brugger, a landowner and merchant who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 1300s.
As time passed, the surname evolved into its more modern spelling of BRIDGEN. In the 16th century, records show a family named BRIDGEN residing in the county of Somerset, with John BRIDGEN being listed as a merchant and landowner in the parish of Taunton in 1582.
Another notable figure was Thomas BRIDGEN, a playwright and actor who lived in London during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is credited with co-authoring several plays with prominent playwrights of the time, including Thomas Dekker and Henry Chettle.
During the 17th century, the BRIDGEN surname spread across various regions of England, with families recorded in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Warwickshire. One prominent individual from this period was Robert BRIDGEN, a member of the clergy who served as the Rector of Ashby St. Ledgers in Northamptonshire from 1653 until his death in 1679.
In the 18th century, the BRIDGEN family continued to establish themselves across England, with notable members such as John BRIDGEN, a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, who lived from 1725 to 1798. Another individual of note was William BRIDGEN, a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker who operated a successful business in London during the mid-1700s.
Throughout the 19th century, the BRIDGEN surname appeared in various parts of England, as well as in other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, as families migrated and established themselves in new regions. One prominent figure from this era was Sir Samuel BRIDGEN, a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars and later held important administrative positions in the Royal Navy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bridgen
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bridgen 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 Bridgen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 91
- Black or African American6.8% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bridgen
Bridgen 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-14 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,785 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 23,785 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,862 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 Bridgen 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 | #156,044 | #154,182 | 1.2% |
| Count | 104 | 103 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bridgen bearers went from 104 to 103 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,182.
FAQ
Bridgen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bridgen?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Bridgen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Bridgen?
Bridgen ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Bridgen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bridgen.
Has Bridgen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bridgen went from 104 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Bridgen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Bridgen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bridgen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (6.8%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Bridgen (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 Bridgen mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the 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 Bridgen (0.03 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 have the last name Bridgen?
See how many people have the last name Bridgen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.