2000
#4,130
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,936
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.94
Rare Last name
Budd
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "messenger," or referring to someone who lived near a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,811 Americans carry the last name Budd. That puts it at #4,478 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,901 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Budd 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 Budd with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 38,901
Census rank
#4,478
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,684 bearers of the surname Budd in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4478th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Budd, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Budd
The surname Budd originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "budda," meaning a messenger or a forerunner. The name is thought to have been an occupational surname given to those who served as messengers or heralds.
The earliest known record of the name Budd appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Budde." This suggests that the surname was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms, such as "Budde," "Bude," and "Bud." These variations reflect the different dialects and spellings used in different regions of England during that time.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Budd, who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of Parliament for Somerset in 1402.
Another significant figure with the surname Budd was William Budd, a physician born in 1811. He made important contributions to the understanding of infectious diseases, particularly in the field of typhoid fever. His work on the transmission of diseases through contaminated water and poor sanitation helped shape modern public health practices.
In the 16th century, the surname Budd was also found in the records of various places, such as Buddesleigh in Devon and Budd's Green in Essex. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname Budd who lived or owned land in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Budd include George Budd (1808-1888), a British physician and writer; Thomas Budd (1766-1846), an English horticulturist and nurseryman; and Cyril Budd (1892-1968), a British politician and member of Parliament.
Throughout its history, the surname Budd has been associated with various occupations, including messengers, heralds, landowners, physicians, horticulturists, and politicians. Its origins can be traced back to Old English, and it has maintained a presence in England for centuries, with various spelling variations emerging over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Budd
Among Census respondents with the surname Budd, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Budd 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 Budd surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 6,356
- Black or African American7.9% · 607
- Two or more races4.1% · 317
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 312
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Budd
Budd 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
#4,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,026
+90 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Down 297 places
2020
#4,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,684
-342 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.57
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,130 | 7,936 | 2.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,427 | 8,026 | 2.72 | +90 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 297 places |
| 2020 | #4,478 | 7,684 | 2.57 | -342 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 51 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 Budd 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 | #4,427 | #4,478 | -1.2% |
| Count | 8,026 | 7,684 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.72 | 2.57 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Budd bearers went from 8,026 to 7,684 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,427 to #4,478.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Budd
FAQ
Budd surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Budd?
Name Census estimates that about 8,811 living Americans carry the surname Budd. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,901 residents.
How common is Budd?
Budd ranks #4,478 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.57 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 7,684 people with the surname Budd. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,811), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.57 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 Budd.
Has Budd become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Budd went from 8,026 recorded bearers to 7,684. That is a decrease of 342 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,427 to #4,478.
What does the Census say about the background of Budd?
Among Census respondents with the surname Budd, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Budd in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (6,356 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Budd appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Black (7.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Budd (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 Budd mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "messenger," or referring to someone who lived near a hill. 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 Budd (2.57 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 Budd?
Want to know how many people are called Budd? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.