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

Bushnell, 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 Bushnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bushnell in America

Bushnell is the 6542nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bushnell surname appeared 5,176 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bushnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bushnell 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 Bushnell

The surname Bushnell has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "busc" meaning bush, and "hyll" meaning hill, indicating that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a bush-covered hill.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Buschehelle" and "Buskenill." This suggests that the name was already established in various spellings during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Bushnel" and "Bushnell." These spellings were likely influenced by the Norman-French pronunciation of the name.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Robert de Bushnell, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199. Another notable figure was William Bushnell, who served as a member of parliament for Nottinghamshire in the 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bushnell family was prominent in the county of Derbyshire, with several members holding positions of importance. One such individual was John Bushnell (1540-1610), who served as the High Sheriff of Derbyshire.

In the 18th century, David Bushnell (1742-1824) gained fame as an American inventor and the creator of the first submarine used in warfare, known as the "Turtle." His invention played a role in the American Revolutionary War.

Another notable bearer of the name was Katharine Bushnell (1855-1946), an American missionary and social reformer who advocated for women's rights and worked to end the trafficking of women and children.

In the literary world, Alan Bushnell (1911-1995) was a British author and journalist, best known for his novels set in the Middle East and his non-fiction works on the region.

While the Bushnell name has its roots in England, it has spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. The name remains prevalent in various English-speaking countries today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bushnell

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

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

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

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