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

Congdon, 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 Congdon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Congdon in America

Congdon is the 8449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Congdon surname appeared 3,910 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Congdon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Congdon 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 Congdon

The surname Congdon is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "cung" (valley) and "dun" (hill), suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a valley near a hill.

One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Cungedune". This entry likely refers to a place name rather than a personal name, but it provides insight into the ancient roots of the surname.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its more recognizable spelling of "Congdon". Historical records from this time period, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, mention individuals with the surname Congdon residing in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Devon and Somerset.

One notable figure from this era was Sir John Congdon, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Another early bearer of the name was Richard Congdon, a merchant who lived in Bristol in the late 15th century and was involved in the city's thriving trade with the continent.

As the centuries passed, the Congdon surname spread to other parts of England and even to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Benjamin Congdon, who was born in 1677 in Rhode Island and went on to become a prominent figure in the colony's government.

Other notable individuals with the Congdon surname include:

1. Henry Bradshaw Fearon Congdon (1838-1901), an English architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.
2. Edith Congdon (1869-1947), an American philanthropist and socialite who founded the Edith Congdon Memorial Hospital in Seattle, Washington.
3. Charles Taber Congdon (1858-1938), an American businessman and co-founder of the Northern Pacific Railway Company.
4. Sir Walter Congdon (1912-1998), a British businessman and philanthropist who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1974 to 1975.
5. John Congdon (1932-2018), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Congdon and Weller law firm in Philadelphia.

While the surname Congdon has evolved over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the rolling hills and valleys of medieval England, where it first emerged as a descriptive name for those who lived in such landscapes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Congdon

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

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

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

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