Bunk last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bunk

A German surname derived from the word "bunke" meaning a rounded loaf of bread.

Bunk, 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 Bunk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bunk in America

Bunk is the 30916th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bunk surname appeared 752 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 Bunk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bunk 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 30916 27562 11.47%
Count 752 823 -9.02%
Proportion per 100k 0.25 0.31 -21.43%

The history of the last name Bunk

The surname BUNK is thought to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "bunk," which means a hut or a small, simple dwelling. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with someone who lived in a humble abode or a small, rural community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BUNK can be found in the municipal records of the town of Augsburg, Germany, from the year 1587. The entry mentions a certain "Hans Bunk," who was a farmer and landowner in the region. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late 16th century in southern Germany.

In the 17th century, the BUNK surname appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. This was likely due to migration and the movement of people during that time period. One notable figure from this era was Johann Bunk (1592-1657), a theologian and author from Nuremberg, who wrote several influential works on Protestant theology.

As the centuries progressed, the BUNK surname continued to be found throughout central Europe. In the 18th century, a wealthy merchant named Wilhelm Bunk (1712-1789) is recorded as having lived in the city of Frankfurt, where he established a successful trading business. This suggests that by this time, the name had also become associated with urban centers and commercial activities.

Another noteworthy individual bearing the BUNK surname was Sophie Bunk (1825-1901), a German-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her works in bronze and marble. She lived and worked in Berlin during the latter half of the 19th century, contributing to the vibrant cultural scene of the city during that era.

In more recent times, the name BUNK has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds. One example is Hans Bunk (1918-2005), a German-American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bunk

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

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 Bunk was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.81% 713
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.06% 8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.73% 13
Hispanic Origin 1.33% 10

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 Bunk has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.81% 95.87% -1.11%
Black 1.06% 0.85% 21.99%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.73% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.73% 1.58% 9.06%
Hispanic 1.33% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Bunk last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 9, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bunk-surname-popularity/.

"Bunk last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bunk-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 July, 2025

Bunk last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bunk-surname-popularity/.

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