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

Buck, 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 Buck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Buck in America

Buck is the 812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Buck surname appeared 42,639 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Buck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Buck 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 Buck

The surname BUCK originates from England and has its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "bucc," which means "male deer" or "buck." The name would have initially referred to someone who was associated with hunting or keeping deer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BUCK can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England ordered by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings such as "Buc," "Bucke," and "le Buk."

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname BUCK became more prevalent in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex. It was often associated with place names that referenced deer or hunting grounds, such as Buckden, Buckingham, and Buckhurst.

One notable individual with the surname BUCK was Sir George Buck (1560-1622), an English antiquarian and historian who served as a master of the revels to King James I. His works included "The History of the Life and Reign of Richard III" and "The Third Universitie of England."

Another prominent figure was Sir John Buck (1558-1636), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1628. He played a significant role in the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown.

During the 17th century, the BUCK surname spread to the American colonies, with early settlers carrying the name to New England and the Chesapeake region. One such individual was Emanuel Buck (1623-1693), who was among the first settlers of Hampton, Virginia, arriving in the 1630s.

In the 18th century, Jeremiah Buck (1717-1786) was a prominent American clergyman and educator, serving as the president of Harvard College from 1771 to 1775. He was known for his strong opposition to the growing tensions between the colonies and Britain, which ultimately led to the American Revolution.

Another noteworthy individual was Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), an American novelist and humanitarian who was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938. She was renowned for her novels set in China, including "The Good Earth" and "Dragon Seed," which brought attention to the lives of Chinese peasants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Buck

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

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

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

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