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

Bridger, 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 Bridger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bridger in America

Bridger is the 16839th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bridger surname appeared 1,695 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bridger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bridger 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 Bridger

The surname Bridger originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "brycg," meaning bridge. The name likely referred to someone who lived or worked near a bridge, or possibly a bridge builder or toll collector.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "le Brugger." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century in England. Other early spellings include "Brugger," "Brigger," and "Brygger."

The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire, where several place names containing the word "bridge" or its variants can be found, such as Newbridge and Bridgewater.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several places with names containing the word "bridge," indicating that the name could have originated from these locations as well.

One notable individual with the surname Bridger was Sir John Bridger (c. 1537-1598), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1572 and 1586.

Another prominent figure was James Bridger (1804-1881), an American mountain man, trapper, trader, and explorer who is renowned for his role in opening up the American West.

The Bridger family also played a significant role in the early settlement of Virginia, with Joseph Bridger (c. 1630-1686) being one of the first English settlers in the area and serving as a colonial legislator.

In the literary world, one cannot overlook Richard Bridger (1619-1663), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works during the 17th century.

Lastly, Henry Bridger (c. 1615-1680) was an English colonist who served as a member of the House of Burgesses in Virginia and played a crucial role in the development of the colony.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bridger

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

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

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

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