2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Bacelis
Portuguese surname derived from the Latin personal name "Basilius".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bacelis. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bacelis 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bacelis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacelis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bacelis
The surname BACELIS is believed to have originated in Portugal during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Portuguese word "bacelo," which refers to a small village or hamlet. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone from a particular rural area or region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BACELIS surname can be found in the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a Portuguese medieval genealogical record dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions a noble family with the surname BACELIS, indicating that the name was already established among the Portuguese aristocracy during that time.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named João BACELIS (1520-1587) gained recognition as a renowned scholar and theologian. He served as a professor at the University of Coimbra and was highly regarded for his contributions to the field of religious studies.
During the Age of Discovery, several Portuguese explorers and navigators bearing the BACELIS surname played a role in the expansion of the Portuguese Empire. One notable example is Sebastião BACELIS (1565-1629), who accompanied numerous expeditions to the Americas and helped establish Portuguese settlements in Brazil.
The BACELIS surname also has a presence in historical records from the Iberian Peninsula. In the 17th century, a Spanish military commander named Miguel BACELIS (1640-1705) distinguished himself in various campaigns against the Moors and was celebrated for his bravery and strategic prowess.
Another noteworthy individual with the BACELIS surname was Maria BACELIS (1785-1856), a Portuguese writer and poet who gained acclaim for her lyrical works and contributions to the Romantic literary movement in Portugal.
While the BACELIS surname has retained its roots in Portugal and Spain, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula, where it likely emerged as a locational surname denoting an individual's place of origin or residence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bacelis
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacelis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bacelis 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 Bacelis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.6% · 92
- White8.6% · 9
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bacelis
Bacelis appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,986 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 Bacelis 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 | #160,975 | #152,989 | 5.0% |
| Count | 100 | 105 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bacelis bearers went from 100 to 105 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bacelis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bacelis?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bacelis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bacelis?
Bacelis ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Bacelis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Bacelis.
Has Bacelis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bacelis went from 100 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bacelis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacelis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (1.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bacelis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bacelis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.6%), White (8.6%), Black (1.9%). 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 Bacelis (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 Bacelis mean?
Portuguese surname derived from the Latin personal name "Basilius". 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 Bacelis (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 common is the surname Bacelis?
Want to know how many people are called Bacelis? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.