2000
#4,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,829
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.90
Rare Last name
Buckingham
Habitational surname referring to someone from Buckingham, England, meaning "homestead of Bucca's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,045 Americans carry the last name Buckingham. That puts it at #4,350 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,894 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buckingham surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Buckingham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 37,894
Census rank
#4,350
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,888 bearers of the surname Buckingham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4350th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buckingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buckingham
Among Census respondents with the surname Buckingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Buckingham bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Buckingham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 6,590
- Black or African American9.3% · 732
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 238
- Two or more races2.9% · 232
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buckingham
Buckingham appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,094
+265 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.74
Rank movement Down 195 places
2020
#4,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,888
-206 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.64
Rank movement Up 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,199 | 7,829 | 2.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,394 | 8,094 | 2.74 | +265 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 195 places |
| 2020 | #4,350 | 7,888 | 2.64 | -206 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 44 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Buckingham surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,394 | #4,350 | 1.0% |
| Count | 8,094 | 7,888 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.74 | 2.64 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buckingham bearers went from 8,094 to 7,888 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,394 to #4,350.
FAQ
Buckingham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buckingham?
Name Census estimates that about 9,045 living Americans carry the surname Buckingham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,894 residents.
How common is Buckingham?
Buckingham ranks #4,350 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,888 people with the surname Buckingham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,045), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Buckingham.
Has Buckingham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buckingham went from 8,094 recorded bearers to 7,888. That is a decrease of 206 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,394 to #4,350.
What does the Census say about the background of Buckingham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buckingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Buckingham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (6,590 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buckingham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Black (9.3%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Buckingham (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Buckingham mean?
Habitational surname referring to someone from Buckingham, England, meaning "homestead of Bucca's people." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Buckingham (2.64 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Buckingham?
You can see how many people are called Buckingham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.