2000
#4,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,461
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.40
Rare Last name
Bastian
A surname derived from the given name Sebastian, meaning "venerable" or "revered," or from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,399 Americans carry the last name Bastian. That puts it at #5,226 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,324 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bastian 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bastian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,324
Census rank
#5,226
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,452 bearers of the surname Bastian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5226th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastian, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Black (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bastian
The surname BASTIAN is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the given name Sebastianus, which was the Latin form of the Greek name Sebastianos, meaning "venerable" or "revered."
In its earliest form, the surname was likely spelled as Bastiaans or Bastiaens in German-speaking regions. These variations reflect the phonetic pronunciations of the name in different dialects. Over time, the spelling evolved to the more standardized form of BASTIAN.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a certain Bastian von Landshut was mentioned in a historical document from the 14th century. This suggests that the name had already gained prominence in parts of southern Germany during that era.
During the Renaissance period, the name BASTIAN appeared in various literary works and records throughout German-speaking regions. Notable figures bearing this surname include the German Renaissance artist Hans Bastian (c. 1500-1560), known for his woodcuts and engravings.
As the surname spread across Europe, it took on different spellings and variations in different languages. In France, for example, it was often rendered as Bastien or Bastiaan. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in France was Jean Bastien (c. 1520-1590), a French Huguenot and Protestant reformer.
In the Netherlands, the BASTIAN surname can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing individuals such as Pieter Bastiaens (c. 1550-1620), a Dutch painter and etcher from Antwerp. The Dutch spelling Bastiaens remained common until the 19th century when it gradually evolved to the more modern form of BASTIAN.
Other notable figures throughout history who bore the BASTIAN surname include the German Renaissance humanist Hieronymus Bastian (c. 1480-1545), the Dutch Golden Age painter Bastian Jacobsz (c. 1580-1640), and the German composer and organist Johann Gottfried Bastian (1719-1789).
Overall, the surname BASTIAN has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, with its origins firmly rooted in the Germanic regions of Europe. Its evolution and adoption across different cultures reflect the widespread influence and migration patterns of those bearing this distinguished name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bastian
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastian, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Black (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bastian 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 Bastian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 5,230
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 476
- Black or African American6.6% · 429
- Two or more races3.0% · 193
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bastian
Bastian 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
#5,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,967
+506 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 2.36
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#5,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,452
-515 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Down 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,986 | 6,461 | 2.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,034 | 6,967 | 2.36 | +506 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #5,226 | 6,452 | 2.16 | -515 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 192 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 Bastian 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 | #5,034 | #5,226 | -3.8% |
| Count | 6,967 | 6,452 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.36 | 2.16 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bastian bearers went from 6,967 to 6,452 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,034 to #5,226.
FAQ
Bastian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bastian?
Name Census estimates that about 7,399 living Americans carry the surname Bastian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,324 residents.
How common is Bastian?
Bastian ranks #5,226 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,452 people with the surname Bastian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,399), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bastian.
Has Bastian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bastian went from 6,967 recorded bearers to 6,452. That is a decrease of 515 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,034 to #5,226.
What does the Census say about the background of Bastian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastian, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Black (6.6%). 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 Bastian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (5,230 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bastian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Hispanic (7.4%), Black (6.6%). 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 Bastian (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 Bastian mean?
A surname derived from the given name Sebastian, meaning "venerable" or "revered," or from a place name. 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 Bastian (2.16 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 Americans have the surname Bastian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.