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

Buckingham, 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 Buckingham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Buckingham in America

Buckingham is the 4394th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Buckingham surname appeared 8,094 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 Buckingham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Buckingham 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 Buckingham

The surname Buckingham originated in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Buckingham in Buckinghamshire. The name itself comes from the Old English words "bucca" meaning "male deer" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bochingham". This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Bokyngham, Bukyngham, and Bokkyngham. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling that were common before the standardization of English orthography.

In the late 12th century, a notable figure named Walter de Buckingham served as Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and held lands in the area. His descendants continued to use the surname, which became more firmly associated with the town of Buckingham.

Another prominent individual with the name was Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (1478-1521), who played a significant role in the court of King Henry VIII. He was eventually executed for treason, but his family's association with the town of Buckingham helped establish the surname's prominence.

Other notable individuals with the surname Buckingham include:

1. George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), a courtier and statesman during the reign of King James I.
2. John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby (1647-1720), a prominent English poet and statesman.
3. James Silk Buckingham (1786-1855), a British author and traveler who wrote extensively about his journeys.
4. William Alfred Buckingham (1804-1875), an English botanist and naturalist known for his work on ferns.
5. Marquis de Buckingham (1853-1913), a French aristocrat and racing driver who competed in the early days of motorsports.

Over time, the surname Buckingham has become widely distributed throughout England and other English-speaking countries, with many families tracing their lineage back to the historic town and county of Buckinghamshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Buckingham

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

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

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

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