The Bunce surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,126 people carried this name — #8,023 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 71,400 people counted. That is down 1% from 4,175 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bunce surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘le bon’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: John de Bunn, Sussex, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Bunn and Bunce.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 147 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bunce was found among the farmers of Berkshire: 20 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Berkshire 20

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

51 families named Bunce, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 252 people lived in those households, 4.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 22
Connecticut 17
New York 9
South Carolina 2
Massachusetts 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 232 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Bunce in American newspapers,
1910.

Newspaper page from The Watchman And Southron carrying the name Bunce
The Watchman And Southron 1910-10-12
Newspaper page from The Watchman And Southron carrying the name Bunce
The Watchman And Southron 1910-09-21
Newspaper page from The Mitchell Capital carrying the name Bunce
The Mitchell Capital 1910-03-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 32,119 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bunce in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1970s.

6,322 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bunce. The most, 1,051, date from the 1860s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 4.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 2,404
New South Wales 1,702
Western Australia 808
Queensland 609
South Australia 400
Tasmania 336
Northern Territory 36
ACT (Canberra) 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bunce.

Who carried it

People named Bunce,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Mary Bunce
    Mary Bunce 1600–1652
  • Oliver Bell Bunce
    Oliver Bell Bunce 1828–1890 · writer
  • Sir James Bunce, 1st Bt. d. 1670
  • James Bunce 1563–1632 · politician
  • John Bunce 1640–1694
  • John Bunce 1656–

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bunce,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States756 records

756 records of the Bunce name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 366
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 140
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 95
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 72
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 51
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 29
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 2
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Henry E. Bunce

    Born 1923 in New Jersey. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Dix; machine shop worker from Union County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at St Joseph's Cemetery, Keyport, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Gaspare Bunce

    Arrived at New York in 1906 aboard the Liguria from Genoa, aged 25; country man. From Marettino, Asti, Italy; bound for Milwaukee.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Donald A. Bunce

    U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. Born 1939, died 1974; buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 756 records for Bunce in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia188 records

188 records of the Bunce name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 104
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 32
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 22
  • Tasmanian Names Index 19
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 10
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Bunce

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Rodney, sailing from Queenstown in 1851. Native of Exmouth, Devon.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Leopoldine Bunce

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Kent, aged 23; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Joseph James Bunce

    Hospit attendant of Caulfield, Victoria; died 1968.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 188 records for Bunce in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom20 records

20 records of the Bunce name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 14
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Bunce

    Buried in 1850 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 36.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. G. Bunce

    Lancashire Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Bunce

    Buried in 1830 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 36.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 20 records for Bunce in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada10 records

10 records of the Bunce name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record S'l Bunce

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Thames, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Louise Bunce

    Died 1916; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Alfred Henry Bunce

    Died in service in 1946.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 10 records for Bunce in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Bunce name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Elisabeth Bunce

    Born 1904 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Monségur (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Anthony Bunce

    Born 1935 in Great Britain; died 1995 in Surin (Vienne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Bunce name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Bunce

    Died 1916, aged 76; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bunce.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bunce is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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