2000
#12,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,207
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Bridgers
An occupational surname referring to a person who built or maintained bridges.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,485 Americans carry the last name Bridgers. That puts it at #13,438 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bridgers 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
2.5K
1 in 137,929
Census rank
#13,438
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,167 bearers of the surname Bridgers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13438th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgers, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bridgers
The surname Bridgers originated in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "brycg", meaning bridge, and the addition of the suffix "-er" denotes an occupation related to bridges, likely a bridge builder or someone who lived near a bridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Richard le Brugger. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname, such as William le Brigger from Oxfordshire.
During the Middle Ages, the Bridgers surname was concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire, areas known for their numerous bridges spanning rivers and streams. This geographic distribution suggests that the name may have originated among those involved in the construction or maintenance of bridges in these regions.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Bridgers surname. However, it does mention several place names with the prefix "brycg", indicating the presence of bridges in those locations, which may have contributed to the eventual development of the surname.
One notable individual with the surname Bridgers was John Bridgers (1583-1637), an English lawyer and member of Parliament who served as a Justice of the Peace for Gloucestershire. Another prominent figure was Sir John Bridgers (1652-1719), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Hereford in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In the 16th century, variations of the name such as Brugger, Briger, and Briggere were also recorded in various historical documents. The surname Bridgers can also be traced to place names like Bridger's Hill in Somerset and Bridger's Farm in Wiltshire, further highlighting the connection between the name and geographical locations associated with bridges.
Other noteworthy individuals bearing the Bridgers surname include:
1. James Bridgers (1804-1881), an American fur trapper and explorer in the Rocky Mountains.
2. William Bridgers (1758-1828), an English clergyman and author of several religious works.
3. Thomas Bridgers (1660-1725), an English mathematician and surveyor known for his work on navigation and surveying techniques.
4. Elizabeth Bridgers (1698-1768), an English philanthropist and benefactor who contributed to the establishment of several schools and charitable institutions.
5. Robert Bridgers (1819-1888), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and led expeditions to the Arctic regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bridgers
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgers, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bridgers 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 Bridgers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.6% · 1,486
- Black or African American24.7% · 536
- Two or more races3.7% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bridgers
Bridgers 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
#12,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,397
+190 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 39 places
2020
#13,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,167
-230 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 596 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,803 | 2,207 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,842 | 2,397 | 0.81 | +190 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 39 places |
| 2020 | #13,438 | 2,167 | 0.72 | -230 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 596 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 Bridgers 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 | #12,842 | #13,438 | -4.6% |
| Count | 2,397 | 2,167 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.72 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bridgers bearers went from 2,397 to 2,167 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 596 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,842 to #13,438.
FAQ
Bridgers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bridgers?
Name Census estimates that about 2,485 living Americans carry the surname Bridgers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,929 residents.
How common is Bridgers?
Bridgers ranks #13,438 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,167 people with the surname Bridgers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,485), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bridgers.
Has Bridgers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bridgers went from 2,397 recorded bearers to 2,167. That is a decrease of 230 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,842 to #13,438.
What does the Census say about the background of Bridgers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgers, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Bridgers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.6% (1,486 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bridgers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.6%), Black (24.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Bridgers (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 Bridgers mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who built or maintained bridges. 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 Bridgers (0.72 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 surname Bridgers?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.