2000
#7,351
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,175
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Bunce
A medieval English surname derived from the Old English word "bunce," meaning a bank, hillock, or low earthen wall.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,385 Americans carry the last name Bunce. That puts it at #8,291 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,165 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bunce 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 Bunce with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,165
Census rank
#8,291
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,824 bearers of the surname Bunce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8291st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bunce
The surname Bunce originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bunc," which means a lump or a hill. This name likely referred to a person who lived on or near a hill or a ridge.
The earliest known recording of the name Bunce dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195 as "Robert de la Bunce." This entry suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone residing near a distinctive hill or mound.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to place names that may have influenced the surname Bunce. For instance, the village of Bunce in Norfolk and the manor of Bunce in Buckinghamshire are mentioned, indicating that the name was likely associated with these locations.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bunce was Sir Thomas Bunce, born in 1369 in Gloucestershire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1390.
Another notable figure was John Bunce, a clergyman born in 1615 in Staffordshire. He authored several religious works and served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Stoke-on-Trent.
In the 17th century, Edward Bunce (1620-1684) was a renowned English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, including the Church of St. Stephen Walbrook.
Mary Bunce (1731-1804), born in Suffolk, was a notable writer and playwright in the 18th century. Her most famous work was the play "The Victim," which tackled themes of gender inequality and social injustice.
In the 19th century, Sir Maurice Bunce (1828-1907) was a prominent British diplomat who served as the ambassador to several countries, including France and Russia.
Over the centuries, the surname Bunce has undergone various spelling variations, such as Bunse, Buncie, and Bonce, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, rooted in the Old English reference to a hill or mound.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bunce
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bunce 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 Bunce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 3,450
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 142
- Two or more races3.3% · 128
- Black or African American1.6% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bunce
Bunce 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
#8,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,126
-49 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 672 places
2020
#8,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,824
-302 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Down 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,351 | 4,175 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,023 | 4,126 | 1.40 | -49 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 672 places |
| 2020 | #8,291 | 3,824 | 1.28 | -302 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 268 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 Bunce 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 | #8,023 | #8,291 | -3.3% |
| Count | 4,126 | 3,824 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.28 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bunce bearers went from 4,126 to 3,824 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,023 to #8,291.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bunce
FAQ
Bunce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bunce?
Name Census estimates that about 4,385 living Americans carry the surname Bunce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,165 residents.
How common is Bunce?
Bunce ranks #8,291 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,824 people with the surname Bunce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,385), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bunce.
Has Bunce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bunce went from 4,126 recorded bearers to 3,824. That is a decrease of 302 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,023 to #8,291.
What does the Census say about the background of Bunce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bunce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Bunce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (3,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bunce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Bunce (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 Bunce mean?
A medieval English surname derived from the Old English word "bunce," meaning a bank, hillock, or low earthen wall. 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 Bunce (1.28 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 common is the surname Bunce?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Bunce at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.