2000
#5,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,343
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.98
Rare Last name
Bushey
Derived from a place name meaning "a place covered with bushes" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,705 Americans carry the last name Bushey. That puts it at #6,550 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,080 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bushey 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
5.7K
1 in 60,080
Census rank
#6,550
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,975 bearers of the surname Bushey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6550th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bushey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bushey
The surname Bushey is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bysce," meaning a bush or thicket. This word later evolved into the Middle English "busch" and eventually "bush." The name Bushey likely originated as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near or was associated with a prominent bush or wooded area.
During the 13th century, the name Bushey started appearing in various historical records, particularly in areas around Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landholders and their properties for tax purposes. The entry "Walter de la Bussh" suggests the name's connection to a specific location marked by bushes.
In the 14th century, the surname Bushey emerged in various spellings, including "Busshe," "Bushe," and "Busshy." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time. The Hearth Tax Rolls of the late 17th century also contain several entries of the name, indicating its continued presence in the region.
The Bushey surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was John Bushey, a merchant and landowner who lived in Hertfordshire in the late 15th century. Another prominent figure was William Bushey, born in 1602, who served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, representing Westmoreland County in the early colonial era.
In the 18th century, Samuel Bushey (1715-1789) was a respected clockmaker and silversmith in Hertford, known for his intricate craftsmanship. His son, also named Samuel Bushey (1744-1820), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned watchmaker in London.
The Bushey surname has also been linked to several place names, such as Bushey Heath in Hertfordshire and Bushey Park, a renowned royal park located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. These place names likely derived from the presence of bushes or wooded areas in those locations, further reinforcing the surname's connection to the natural landscape.
Other notable individuals with the Bushey surname include Sir John Bushey (1854-1932), a British lawyer and judge who served as a Lord Justice of Appeal, and William Bushey (1906-1982), an American artist and painter known for his landscapes and seascapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bushey
Among Census respondents with the surname Bushey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bushey 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 Bushey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 4,558
- Two or more races4.0% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 142
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 32
- Black or African American0.5% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bushey
Bushey 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
#6,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,456
+113 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 328 places
2020
#6,550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,975
-481 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Down 290 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,932 | 5,343 | 1.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,260 | 5,456 | 1.85 | +113 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 328 places |
| 2020 | #6,550 | 4,975 | 1.66 | -481 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 290 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 Bushey 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 | #6,260 | #6,550 | -4.6% |
| Count | 5,456 | 4,975 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 1.66 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bushey bearers went from 5,456 to 4,975 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 290 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,260 to #6,550.
FAQ
Bushey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bushey?
Name Census estimates that about 5,705 living Americans carry the surname Bushey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,080 residents.
How common is Bushey?
Bushey ranks #6,550 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.66 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 4,975 people with the surname Bushey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,705), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.66 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 Bushey.
Has Bushey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bushey went from 5,456 recorded bearers to 4,975. That is a decrease of 481 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,260 to #6,550.
What does the Census say about the background of Bushey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bushey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Bushey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (4,558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bushey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Bushey (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 Bushey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "a place covered with bushes" in Old English. 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 Bushey (1.66 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 Bushey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.