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

Bun, 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 Bun surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bun in America

Bun is the 18793rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bun surname appeared 1,458 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 Bun.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bun 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 Bun

The surname "Bun" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "bun," meaning "a small hill or mound." The name was traditionally associated with individuals who lived near or worked on such geographic features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Bun" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, where a certain John Bun is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Returns for Gloucestershire in 1475, where a William Bun is listed. This indicates that the name had spread to neighboring counties by that time.

During the Tudor period, the surname "Bun" gained some prominence with the birth of Sir Edward Bun (1497-1562), a notable merchant and philanthropist from Bristol. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and served as Sheriff of London in 1545.

Another notable individual bearing the surname was John Bun (1598-1670), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1664 until his death.

In the 18th century, the Bun surname was associated with the village of Bunbury, located in Cheshire. This place name is derived from the Old English words "bun" and "burg," meaning "a hill fort." It is possible that some individuals with the surname "Bun" originated from or had connections to this area.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname "Bun" was the English novelist and playwright Laurence Bun (1713-1768), best known for his satirical work "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman."

Throughout the 19th century, the surname "Bun" continued to be found in various parts of England, with notable individuals including the scientist and inventor Sir William Bun (1824-1900) and the politician and social reformer Edith Bun (1858-1936).

While the surname "Bun" is not among the most common in England, it has a rich and varied history spanning several centuries, with connections to various regions, professions, and notable figures throughout the country's past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bun

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

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

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

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