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

Bungay, 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 Bungay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bungay in America

Bungay is the 59017th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bungay surname appeared 343 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 Bungay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bungay 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 Bungay

The surname Bungay has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the name of the town of Bungay in Suffolk, which itself comes from the Old English words "bun" meaning a hollow and "gey" meaning an island, referring to the town's location on a low hill surrounded by marshes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bungay can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk from 1199, where a certain Willelmus de Bungay is mentioned. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk from 1310, suggesting that the surname was well-established by that time.

In the 14th century, a notable individual bearing the name was Thomas Bungay, a Benedictine monk and alchemist who lived from around 1285 to 1370. He was known for his work on the transmutation of metals and was the author of several alchemical treatises.

Another early bearer of the name was John Bungay, a 15th-century English cleric who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk from 1427 to 1442. He is recorded as having attended the Council of Basel in 1431-1449, a significant event in the history of the Catholic Church.

Moving into the 16th century, we find William Bungay, who was born in Bungay, Suffolk, around 1520. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area, and his name appears in various legal documents and property records from that time.

In the 17th century, a noteworthy figure was Richard Bungay, a English clergyman and author who lived from 1628 to 1685. He wrote several religious works, including a book titled "The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity Explained and Defended" published in 1676.

Another individual of note was Edward Bungay, a 19th-century English architect who was born in 1824 and died in 1895. He was responsible for the design of several notable buildings in London, including the former headquarters of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bungay

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

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

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

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