2000
#5,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,058
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
Bunnell
A surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or creek, derived from Old English "bune".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,985 Americans carry the last name Bunnell. That puts it at #5,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,070 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bunnell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bunnell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 49,070
Census rank
#5,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,091 bearers of the surname Bunnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bunnell
The surname Bunnell is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bunan," which means "to prepare" or "to make ready." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a tradesperson or someone who prepared goods for sale or distribution.
In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Bunell" or "Bonell." It is thought to have originated in the counties of Essex and Suffolk in eastern England, where many early records of the name can be found. One of the earliest documented references to the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated 1273, where it is listed as "Bunell."
The Bunnell surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bunnell's Farm in Brentwood, Essex, and Bunnell's Hill in Woodford, Essex. These place names likely originated from families bearing the Bunnell name who owned or resided in those areas.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Bunnell surname was John Bunnell, who was born in Essex around 1475. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Bunnell (c. 1530-1599), a member of the English gentry and a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, several members of the Bunnell family immigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest was Benjamin Bunnell (c. 1620-1689), who settled in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1644. He became a prominent figure in the colony and served as a deputy to the General Court.
Another notable individual was Nathaniel Bunnell (1675-1753), a farmer and landowner in Stratford, Connecticut. He played a significant role in the development of the town and served as a selectman and a justice of the peace.
In the 18th century, Jonathan Bunnell (1745-1825) was a patriot during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and participated in several crucial battles, including the Battle of Saratoga.
One of the most famous individuals with the Bunnell surname was Lafayette Bunnell (1824-1903), an American physician and inventor. He is credited with developing the first successful typewriter design, which he patented in 1868. His invention laid the foundation for the modern typewriter and played a crucial role in the advancement of office technology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bunnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bunnell 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 Bunnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 5,469
- Two or more races4.0% · 245
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 188
- Black or African American1.8% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bunnell
Bunnell 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
#5,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,355
+297 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Down 185 places
2020
#5,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,091
-264 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Down 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,287 | 6,058 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,472 | 6,355 | 2.15 | +297 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 185 places |
| 2020 | #5,511 | 6,091 | 2.04 | -264 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 39 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 Bunnell 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 | #5,472 | #5,511 | -0.7% |
| Count | 6,355 | 6,091 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.15 | 2.04 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bunnell bearers went from 6,355 to 6,091 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,472 to #5,511.
FAQ
Bunnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bunnell?
Name Census estimates that about 6,985 living Americans carry the surname Bunnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,070 residents.
How common is Bunnell?
Bunnell ranks #5,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,091 people with the surname Bunnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,985), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bunnell.
Has Bunnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bunnell went from 6,355 recorded bearers to 6,091. That is a decrease of 264 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,472 to #5,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bunnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bunnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (5,469 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bunnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Bunnell (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 Bunnell mean?
A surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or creek, derived from Old English "bune". 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 Bunnell (2.04 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 share the surname Bunnell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.