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

Buffalo, 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 Buffalo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Buffalo in America

Buffalo is the 26471st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Buffalo surname appeared 922 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Buffalo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Buffalo 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 Buffalo

The surname BUFFALO is an English occupational name that originated in the late 16th century. It derives from the Old English word "buffalu", which referred to the American bison or buffalo. This surname was likely given to individuals who were involved in the hunting, trading, or handling of buffalo.

The earliest recorded instances of the BUFFALO surname can be found in parish records from the late 1500s and early 1600s in areas of England where buffalo were imported or traded. These areas included London, Norfolk, and other eastern counties.

One of the earliest known bearers of the BUFFALO surname was John Buffalo, a merchant and trader from London, born around 1580. He is mentioned in records from the East India Company, indicating his involvement in trading goods, including buffalo hides and meat.

Another notable figure was William Buffalo, a hunter and fur trapper from Norfolk, born in the early 1600s. He is documented in local records as supplying buffalo meat and hides to the region.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the BUFFALO surname spread to other parts of England and the British colonies in North America. For example, Richard Buffalo, born in 1674 in Yorkshire, later settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent landowner and farmer.

The BUFFALO surname also appears in historical records related to the American West and the frontier. One such individual was James Buffalo, born in 1812 in Ohio, who became a renowned buffalo hunter and guide in the Great Plains region.

Another notable bearer of the BUFFALO surname was Mary Buffalo, born in 1845 in New York. She was a respected educator and advocate for Native American rights, and worked closely with various tribes, including the Lakota Sioux.

Throughout its history, the BUFFALO surname has been associated with individuals involved in the hunting, trading, and exploration of the American bison, as well as those who interacted with Native American communities and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Buffalo

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

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

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

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