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

Bunker, 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 Bunker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bunker in America

Bunker is the 4679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bunker surname appeared 7,581 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bunker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bunker 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 Bunker

The surname Bunker originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bunker," which referred to a person who lived near a bench or bank. It's possible that the name could also have originated from a place name containing the word "bunker."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Bunker dates back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, a person named William Bunker was mentioned. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also included a reference to a Richard le Bunker.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Bunker appeared in various spellings, such as Bunker, Bunkar, and Bunkere. It's likely that these variations were due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Bunker was Sir John Bunker, a prominent English landowner who lived in the 14th century. He was a member of the gentry and held significant estates in Warwickshire.

Another notable figure with the surname Bunker was William Bunker, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in 1637 and served as the rector of St. Botolph's Church in Bishopsgate, London.

In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Bunker gained recognition for his involvement in the American Revolutionary War. He was a militiaman from Massachusetts and participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, which took its name from the nearby Bunker's Hill.

During the 19th century, the Bunker surname was associated with several notable individuals. One of them was Edmund Bunker, a British writer and poet who was born in 1828. He published numerous works, including "Verses of a Country Clergyman" and "The Pilgrim's Road."

Another prominent figure with the Bunker surname was Henry Bunker, an English architect and surveyor who lived from 1832 to 1898. He was known for his work on several important buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

While the surname Bunker originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bunker

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

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

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

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