2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bankester
A made-up surname likely derived from combining "bank" and an agent suffix like "-ester," possibly referring to a person working in banking.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Bankester. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bankester 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Bankester in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bankester, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bankester
The surname Bankester has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of Britain, tracing back to the 7th century. This name is derived from the Old English words "banc" and "sittere," which together translate to "bank-dweller" or "one who lives near a bank or hillside." The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086, listed as "Bancastre."
During the Middle Ages, the Bankester surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, where many families bearing this name lived near the banks of rivers or on elevated terrain. In the 13th century, records show a Robertus de Bankester who owned land in the village of Bankester near Louth, Lincolnshire.
One notable figure with this surname was Sir John Bankester (1450-1525), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He was known for his philanthropic efforts, having donated funds to establish a free grammar school in the town of Wakefield.
Another historical figure was William Bankester (1570-1641), a renowned theologian and author from Lincolnshire. He wrote several influential works on religious subjects and served as a rector in the Church of England.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Bankester family migrated to the American colonies, with records showing a Thomas Bankester (1620-1689) settling in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He became a prosperous farmer and was involved in local government affairs.
During the 18th century, the spelling of the surname began to vary, with some families using the alternative forms "Banckester" or "Bankaster." One notable individual from this era was Captain James Bankester (1725-1801), a British naval officer who served with distinction in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
Other historical figures bearing this surname include the English poet and writer, Elizabeth Bankester (1810-1876), and the renowned Scottish architect, Andrew Bankester (1835-1912), who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bankester
Among Census respondents with the surname Bankester, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bankester 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 Bankester surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 98
- Two or more races7.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bankester
Bankester 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,392 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,392 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,121 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 Bankester 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 | #143,149 | #144,270 | -0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 117 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bankester bearers went from 116 to 117 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #144,270.
FAQ
Bankester surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bankester?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Bankester. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Bankester?
Bankester ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Bankester. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Bankester.
Has Bankester become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bankester went from 116 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bankester?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bankester, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Bankester in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bankester appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Two or More Races (7.7%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Bankester (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 Bankester mean?
A made-up surname likely derived from combining "bank" and an agent suffix like "-ester," possibly referring to a person working in banking. 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 Bankester (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 Bankester?
If you just want to know how many people are called Bankester, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.