2000
#6,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,607
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.71
Rare Last name
Buckles
An occupational surname for a maker of buckles, a type of fastener used on clothing and accessories.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,992 Americans carry the last name Buckles. That puts it at #7,383 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buckles 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 Buckles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,661
Census rank
#7,383
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,353 bearers of the surname Buckles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7383rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buckles, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buckles
The surname Buckles has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bucc," which means a male deer or buck, combined with the suffix "-les," indicating a small or diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a place where deer were found or someone who had a connection to hunting or working with deer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Buckles can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "William Buckeles." This ancient record provides evidence that the name was already in use during the medieval period in England.
In the 14th century, the name Buckles appeared in various forms, such as "Bucle" and "Bukle," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in that era. For instance, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 listed a "John Bucle."
The Buckles surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Bucklesham in Suffolk and Bucklebury in Berkshire. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or provided a basis for its adoption by families residing in those areas.
One notable individual with the surname Buckles was Sir Robert Buckles (c. 1560-1628), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was John Buckles (1679-1748), a British mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
In the 18th century, the Buckles surname gained recognition through the accomplishments of Thomas Buckles (1720-1798), a renowned English clockmaker and inventor. His innovative designs and horological advancements earned him widespread recognition.
The 19th century saw the rise of William Buckles (1806-1882), a British architect and civil engineer responsible for designing several notable structures, including the Buckles Bridge in London.
Throughout its long history, the surname Buckles has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse origins and experiences associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buckles
Among Census respondents with the surname Buckles, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Buckles 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 Buckles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.0% · 3,438
- Black or African American9.8% · 427
- Two or more races4.2% · 181
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.2% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buckles
Buckles 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
#7,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,623
+16 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 476 places
2020
#7,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,353
-270 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,744 | 4,607 | 1.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,220 | 4,623 | 1.57 | +16 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 476 places |
| 2020 | #7,383 | 4,353 | 1.46 | -270 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 163 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 Buckles 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 | #7,220 | #7,383 | -2.3% |
| Count | 4,623 | 4,353 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.46 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buckles bearers went from 4,623 to 4,353 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 163 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,220 to #7,383.
FAQ
Buckles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buckles?
Name Census estimates that about 4,992 living Americans carry the surname Buckles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,661 residents.
How common is Buckles?
Buckles ranks #7,383 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,353 people with the surname Buckles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,992), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Buckles.
Has Buckles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buckles went from 4,623 recorded bearers to 4,353. That is a decrease of 270 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,220 to #7,383.
What does the Census say about the background of Buckles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buckles, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Buckles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.0% (3,438 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buckles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.0%), Black (9.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Buckles (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 Buckles mean?
An occupational surname for a maker of buckles, a type of fastener used on clothing and accessories. 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 Buckles (1.46 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 common is the surname Buckles?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Buckles at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.