Bristol
A locational surname referring to the famous English city of Bristol.
The #4,611 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,128 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bristol is generally a locational surname taken from the city of Bristol in southwest England. The place-name is usually explained as meaning something like a meeting place or bridge site by the river, though the exact early form is complex and has been debated. As a surname, it would originally have identified someone who came from Bristol or was otherwise associated with the city.
History
The name appears in older spellings such as Bristow and Bristoll, and Bardsley notes the common shift between final -ol and -ow in surname forms. Historical references also show people styled 'of Bristol' in medieval and later records, indicating straightforward locational use. In England and later in America, Bristol survives both as a surname and as a place-based byname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley specifically pointed to Bristow as a normal variant of Bristol, not a separate name in origin.
From the historical record
“situated on the shore of Stackpole Creek and Head, opposite the Stack Rocks in the Bristol Channel."— ATat. Gaz. STAFFORD (Eng.) I Bel. to Stafford (Staffs), the Domesday Stadford, Stafford = the Staith or Landing-Place Ford [O.E. iteSJ, a bank, shore; hence, a landing-”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)