Find out how popular the last name Bugbee is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bugbee.
A surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning "dweller by the bend or loop of a stream or river".
Bugbee, 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 Bugbee surname is from the 2010 census data.
Bugbee is the 16798th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Bugbee surname appeared 1,700 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bugbee.
We can also compare 2010 data for Bugbee 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 16798 | 16581 | 1.30% |
Count | 1,700 | 1,594 | 6.44% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.58 | 0.59 | -1.71% |
The surname Bugbee is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "bugge," meaning a bend or curve, and "by," meaning a village or settlement. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a bend in a river or a curved road.
The earliest recorded instances of the Bugbee surname can be found in various historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a William Buggebey is listed as a taxpayer. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, where a John Bugbie is recorded in 1540. This document provides evidence of the name's presence in different regions of England during that period.
The Bugbee surname has also been linked to certain place names, such as the village of Bugbrooke in Northamptonshire. This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Bugbee surname. One such figure was John Bugbee (c. 1585-1670), an early Puritan settler in New England who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. He later relocated to Connecticut and became one of the founders of the town of Stonington.
Another prominent Bugbee was Lucius Hubbard Bugbee (1833-1916), a Union officer during the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.
In the realm of literature, Willard Bugbee (1869-1957) was an American author and educator known for his works on American literature and the English language.
Thomas Bugbee (1790-1865), a prominent businessman and landowner in New York, played a significant role in the development of the city of Binghamton, which was initially known as Bugbee's Settlement.
Lastly, Nathaniel Bugbee (1777-1843) was a influential figure in the early history of Vermont, serving as a member of the state's legislature and as a judge in the county court.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals who have carried the Bugbee surname throughout history, spanning various fields and eras.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bugbee.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bugbee was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 94.71% | 1,610 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.82% | 14 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.35% | 6 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.94% | 16 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.41% | 24 |
Hispanic Origin | 1.76% | 30 |
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 Bugbee has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 94.71% | 96.30% | -1.66% |
Black | 0.82% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.35% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.94% | 0.69% | 30.67% |
Two or More Races | 1.41% | 0.69% | 68.57% |
Hispanic | 1.76% | 1.88% | -6.59% |
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 Bugbee was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/bugbee-surname-popularity/">Bugbee last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Bugbee last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bugbee-surname-popularity/.
"Bugbee last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bugbee-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 July, 2025
Bugbee last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bugbee-surname-popularity/.
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