2000
#22,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,068
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Bunkley
A locational surname referring to someone from Bunkley, Hertfordshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,300 Americans carry the last name Bunkley. That puts it at #23,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 263,657 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bunkley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 263,657
Census rank
#23,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,134 bearers of the surname Bunkley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunkley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 57.8%. The next largest groups are White (33.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bunkley
The surname BUNKLEY is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is likely derived from an Old English place name that has since been lost or altered over time. One possible source is the Old English word "bunca," which meant a small hill or mound, combined with the word "leah," meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BUNKLEY can be found in the Domesday Book, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and property values in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Buncalegh" and "Buncleia," indicating its evolution over the centuries.
During the Middle Ages, the BUNKLEY name was associated with several notable individuals. Richard BUNKLEY, born around 1325, was a prominent merchant and landowner in the county of Wiltshire. His son, William BUNKLEY (c. 1360-1432), was a respected scholar and served as a canon at Salisbury Cathedral.
In the 16th century, the BUNKLEY family played a role in the English Reformation. John BUNKLEY (1520-1589) was a Protestant clergyman who faced persecution for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I. His son, Thomas BUNKLEY (1560-1631), was a renowned Puritan minister and author who advocated for further reforms within the Church of England.
During the 17th century, the BUNKLEY name was found in various parts of England, including the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire. One notable figure from this period was Robert BUNKLEY (1625-1695), a successful merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and almshouses in his hometown of Bristol.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, members of the BUNKLEY family contributed to various fields, including politics, literature, and academia. Samuel BUNKLEY (1745-1821) was a prominent lawyer and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark. His nephew, William BUNKLEY (1780-1856), was a celebrated poet and essayist whose works explored themes of nature and human emotion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bunkley
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunkley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 57.8%. The next largest groups are White (33.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bunkley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bunkley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American57.8% · 655
- White33.6% · 381
- Two or more races4.5% · 51
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bunkley
Bunkley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#23,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,088
+20 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 905 places
2020
#23,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,134
+46 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,481 | 1,068 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,386 | 1,088 | 0.37 | +20 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 905 places |
| 2020 | #23,144 | 1,134 | 0.38 | +46 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 242 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bunkley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,386 | #23,144 | 1.0% |
| Count | 1,088 | 1,134 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.38 | 2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bunkley bearers went from 1,088 to 1,134 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 242 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,386 to #23,144.
FAQ
Bunkley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bunkley?
Name Census estimates that about 1,300 living Americans carry the surname Bunkley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 263,657 residents.
How common is Bunkley?
Bunkley ranks #23,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,134 people with the surname Bunkley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bunkley.
Has Bunkley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bunkley went from 1,088 recorded bearers to 1,134. That is an increase of 46 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,386 to #23,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Bunkley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunkley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 57.8%. The next largest groups are White (33.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bunkley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.8% (655 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bunkley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (57.8%), White (33.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bunkley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bunkley mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Bunkley, Hertfordshire, England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bunkley (0.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Bunkley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.