2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Babigian
An Armenian surname derived from the name of a small town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Babigian. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Babigian 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Babigian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Babigian, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Babigian
The surname Babigian has its origins in Armenia, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Armenian word "bab," meaning "father," and the suffix "-ian," which denotes belonging or ancestry. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who was the son or descendant of a person named Bab.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Babigian can be found in an Armenian manuscript from the 15th century, which mentions a scribe named Hovhannes Babigian. This historical document provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during that time period in Armenia.
In the 16th century, there is a reference to a village called Babigan in the region of Syunik, located in present-day southern Armenia. It is possible that the surname Babigian originated from this place name, indicating that the family may have been associated with or resided in that particular village.
During the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name Babigian was Mkrtich Babigian, an Armenian scholar and writer who lived from 1620 to 1692. He is best known for his work titled "History of the Armenian People," which documented the history and culture of the Armenian nation.
In the 18th century, another prominent individual with the surname Babigian was Hakob Babigian, a renowned Armenian painter and sculptor who lived from 1739 to 1796. His works, which included religious paintings and intricate wood carvings, can be found in various churches and museums across Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Babigian name was Khachatur Babigian, an Armenian revolutionary and activist who lived from 1856 to 1927. He played a significant role in the Armenian national liberation movement and was involved in various political and social initiatives aimed at securing rights and autonomy for the Armenian people.
Throughout its history, the surname Babigian has retained its Armenian roots and cultural significance, serving as a testament to the rich heritage and traditions of the Armenian people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Babigian
Among Census respondents with the surname Babigian, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Babigian 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 Babigian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 108
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Babigian
Babigian 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,849 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,557 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,849 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,557 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 Babigian 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 | #142,108 | #148,665 | -4.6% |
| Count | 117 | 111 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Babigian bearers went from 117 to 111 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,557 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #148,665.
FAQ
Babigian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Babigian?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Babigian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Babigian?
Babigian ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Babigian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Babigian.
Has Babigian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Babigian went from 117 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Babigian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Babigian, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Babigian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Babigian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Babigian (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 Babigian mean?
An Armenian surname derived from the name of a small town or village. 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 Babigian (0.04 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 many people are called Babigian?
You can see how many people have the surname Babigian on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.