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

Bumgarner, 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 Bumgarner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bumgarner in America

Bumgarner is the 5567th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bumgarner surname appeared 6,246 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bumgarner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bumgarner 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 Bumgarner

The surname Bumgarner is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German words "bûn" meaning "to dwell" and "gartenære" meaning "gardener". It likely originated in the 13th or 14th century as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a gardener or cultivated a small plot of land.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 15th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. In a town registry from 1487, the name appears as "Baumgartnær", which is believed to be an earlier spelling variation. This spelling suggests a connection to the German word "Baumgarten", meaning "orchard" or "tree garden".

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records across southern Germany, with spellings such as "Baumgartner", "Baumgardner", and "Baumgärter". One notable individual from this period was Hans Baumgartner, a master craftsman and woodcarver born in Nuremberg in 1525, known for his intricate religious artwork.

As the name spread throughout German-speaking regions, it underwent further variations in spelling, eventually leading to the modern form of "Bumgarner". In the 17th century, the name is recorded in several church records in the Palatinate region, with spellings like "Bumgartner" and "Bumgardner".

One of the earliest known bearers of the Bumgarner surname in the New World was Johann Bumgarner, who immigrated to Pennsylvania from the Palatinate in 1748. His descendants eventually settled in the Appalachian regions of Virginia and North Carolina, where the name remains prevalent today.

Another notable figure was Jacob Bumgarner (1780-1864), a pioneer and farmer who played a role in the settlement of western North Carolina. He was among the first settlers in what is now Caldwell County and served as a local militia captain during the War of 1812.

In the 19th century, the Bumgarner name is found in various records across the United States, particularly in the Appalachian regions. One prominent individual was William H. Bumgarner (1841-1915), a Union Army veteran and lawyer who served as a judge in Tennessee after the Civil War.

Throughout the 20th century, several individuals with the Bumgarner surname made notable contributions in various fields. These include Madison Bumgarner (born 1989), a professional baseball pitcher who played a pivotal role in the San Francisco Giants' World Series championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bumgarner

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

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

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

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