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

Bridgman, 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 Bridgman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bridgman in America

Bridgman is the 12435th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bridgman surname appeared 2,498 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 Bridgman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bridgman 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 Bridgman

The surname Bridgman originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "brycg" and "mann," meaning "bridge man" or someone who lived or worked near a bridge. The name is also associated with the village of Bridgham in Norfolk, England, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bricgham."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a Robert Brigeman is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1212, which mentions a William Brigeman.

During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Briggeman, Brigman, and Brugman, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. One notable bearer of the name was John Bridgman (c. 1335-1399), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1382 and 1388.

In the 16th century, the Bridgman family became prominent in Berkshire and Gloucestershire. Sir Orlando Bridgeman (1609-1674) was a renowned lawyer and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under Charles II. His son, Sir John Bridgeman (1631-1710), served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bridgman include Richard Whalley Bridgman (1784-1861), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Raymond Landon Bridgman (1884-1941), an American physicist known for his contributions to the theory of condensed matter.

In the 19th century, the Bridgman family established themselves in various parts of the United States. One prominent figure was Herbert L. Bridgman (1844-1924), a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bridgman Library in Northampton, Massachusetts.

The name Bridgman has also been associated with several place names, such as Bridgman, Michigan, and Bridgman Downs in Queensland, Australia, reflecting the migration and settlement patterns of those bearing the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bridgman

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

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

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

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