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

Bridges, 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 Bridges surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bridges in America

Bridges is the 635th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bridges surname appeared 53,682 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 18 people would have the surname Bridges.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bridges 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 Bridges

The surname BRIDGES has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period as an occupational name for someone who built or maintained bridges. It derives from the Old English word "brycg," meaning a bridge.

In the early days, the name appeared in various spellings such as Brugge, Brigge, and Brygge. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus ad Brugges in Somerset.

As an occupational surname, BRIDGES would have initially referred to individuals who were employed in the construction or maintenance of bridges, a vital role in facilitating transportation and trade in medieval times. Over time, it became a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

In the 13th century, records show a William Brugge in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. Another early bearer of the name was John atte Brugge, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292.

The surname BRIDGES is also associated with various place names across England, such as Bridgetown in Somerset, Bridgewater in Somerset, and Bridgford in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely influenced the adoption of the surname by individuals residing in or near those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname BRIDGES include:

1. John Bridges (1536-1618), an English author and historian who wrote the "History of Northamptonshire."
2. William Bridges (1608-1670), an English colonial leader and co-founder of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts.
3. Robert Bridges (1844-1930), an English poet and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1913 to 1930.
4. Nathaniel Bridges (1675-1720), an English naval officer and one of the first Europeans to explore the Kuril Islands.
5. Harry Bridges (1901-1990), an Australian-born American labor leader and long-time head of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union.

The surname BRIDGES has a rich history dating back to medieval England, where it originated as an occupational name associated with the construction and maintenance of bridges. Over the centuries, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including authors, colonial leaders, poets, naval officers, and labor activists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bridges

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

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

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

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