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

Bristol, 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 Bristol surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bristol in America

Bristol is the 4611th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bristol surname appeared 7,694 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bristol.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bristol 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 Bristol

The surname BRISTOL originated in the city of Bristol, located in the southwest of England. The city's name is derived from the Old English words "brycg" meaning "bridge" and "stow" meaning "place." This suggests that the surname may have initially referred to someone who lived near a bridge or a place associated with a bridge in Bristol.

The name BRISTOL first appeared in historical records in the 12th century. One early reference can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a person named "William de Bristoll." The use of the preposition "de" in this instance indicates that William was from Bristol.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the city of Bristol is recorded as "Bricstou" and "Bristou," further highlighting the historical roots of the surname's spelling variations.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname BRISTOL was John Bristol, a merchant and alderman who lived in Bristol during the 14th century. He played a prominent role in the city's governance and was mentioned in various local records from that time.

Another notable figure was Thomas Bristol, a wealthy merchant and ship owner from Bristol who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was involved in the lucrative wine trade and is believed to have been one of the wealthiest individuals in the city during his lifetime.

In the 16th century, a family of BRISTOLS owned estates in the nearby county of Somerset. This branch of the family produced several notable individuals, including Sir Walter Bristol, who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the late 16th century.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a prominent Royalist soldier named Colonel Richard Bristol fought for King Charles I. He was involved in several major battles and was eventually captured by Parliamentarian forces in 1645.

Another individual of note was Reverend John Bristol, an Anglican clergyman who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He served as the rector of several parishes in Somerset and Gloucestershire and was known for his scholarship and writings on religious topics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bristol

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

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

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

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