Find out how popular the last name Buchanon is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Buchanon.
A Scottish surname derived from a place name, likely meaning "dwelling by the canon's lands."
Buchanon, 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 Buchanon surname is from the 2010 census data.
Buchanon is the 23315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Buchanon surname appeared 1,092 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Buchanon.
We can also compare 2010 data for Buchanon 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 23315 | 21176 | 9.62% |
| Count | 1,092 | 1,155 | -5.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.37 | 0.43 | -15.00% |
The surname Buchanon originated in Scotland, where it is a variant spelling of the name Buchanan. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "buth" meaning "hut" or "house" and "chanain" meaning "canon" or "chancellor." It is believed to have first emerged in the region of Loch Lomond, near the present-day town of Buchanan.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears in various spellings, including Buchanane and Boughannon.
In the 15th century, the Buchanans were a powerful clan in central Scotland, with their seat at Buchanan Castle near Loch Lomond. Notable figures from this period include Sir Maurice Buchanan, who fought alongside William Wallace during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th century.
The name gained further prominence in the 16th century with George Buchanan (1506-1582), a renowned Scottish humanist scholar, historian, and poet. He served as a tutor to King James VI of Scotland and was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation.
Another notable figure was Robert Buchanan (1841-1901), a Scottish poet and novelist who was part of the "Fleshly School" of Victorian poetry. He was known for his satirical works and his criticism of other poets, including Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Buchanon spelling can be found in the records of the Virginia colony in the late 17th century. John Buchanon, born around 1670, was among the early settlers in the region.
James Buchanan (1791-1868) was the 15th President of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He was born in Pennsylvania to parents of Scottish descent and is the only bachelor president in American history.
In the realm of sports, Roy Buchanan (1939-1988) was an American guitarist renowned for his innovative playing style and his contributions to the development of the blues-rock genre.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Buchanon or its various spellings, reflecting its Scottish origins and the rich heritage associated with this name.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Buchanon.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Buchanon was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 42.49% | 464 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 51.37% | 561 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 3.39% | 37 |
| Hispanic Origin | 2.11% | 23 |
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 Buchanon has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 42.49% | 45.37% | -6.56% |
| Black | 51.37% | 50.65% | 1.41% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 3.39% | 2.42% | 33.39% |
| Hispanic | 2.11% | 1.13% | 60.49% |
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 Buchanon was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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