2010
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bazalar
A surname of Turkish origin, potentially derived from "Bazar" meaning "market" or "trader".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 165 Americans carry the last name Bazalar. That puts it at #125,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,077,299 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bazalar 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
165
1 in 2,077,299
Census rank
#125,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
144
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 144 bearers of the surname Bazalar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 125089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazalar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bazalar
The surname Bazalar has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Catalonia, Spain, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the ancient Catalan word "bazalá," which referred to a type of coarse woolen fabric or cloth commonly used during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bazalar can be found in a document from the year 1287, which mentions a certain Pere Bazalar, a merchant residing in the city of Barcelona. This document suggests that the name may have been associated with the trade of textiles or the production of woolen fabrics.
Another historical reference to the name Bazalar comes from the archives of the city of Girona, where a record from 1312 mentions a Guillem Bazalar, a landowner and prominent figure in the local community.
In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the Bazalar surname was Ramon Bazalar (1435-1502), a renowned physician and scholar who authored several treatises on medicine and natural philosophy. His works were widely circulated and studied throughout Europe during the Renaissance period.
The name Bazalar also appears in connection with the town of Bazaleño, located in the province of Lleida, Catalonia. It is believed that this place name may have derived from the surname Bazalar, suggesting that the family may have had ties to this particular region.
Another prominent individual with the Bazalar surname was Joan Bazalar (1562-1638), a Catalan poet and playwright who gained recognition for his works in the Catalan language. His collection of poems, titled "Flors de primavera" (Flowers of Spring), was highly celebrated in literary circles of the time.
As the Bazalar family spread across different regions of Spain and beyond, the spelling of the surname likely underwent variations, with alternative forms such as Basalar, Bazalá, and Bazalart appearing in historical records.
It is worth noting that while the surname Bazalar is not among the most common in modern times, it continues to carry a rich historical legacy rooted in the textile traditions and cultural heritage of Catalonia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bazalar
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazalar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bazalar 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 Bazalar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 130
- White5.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bazalar
Bazalar 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
#125,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
-3 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,904 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #125,089 | 144 | 0.05 | -3 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 6,904 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 Bazalar 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 | #118,185 | #125,089 | -5.8% |
| Count | 147 | 144 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bazalar bearers went from 147 to 144 (-2.0% change). The surname moved down 6,904 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #125,089.
FAQ
Bazalar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bazalar?
Name Census estimates that about 165 living Americans carry the surname Bazalar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,077,299 residents.
How common is Bazalar?
Bazalar ranks #125,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 144 people with the surname Bazalar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (165), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Bazalar.
Has Bazalar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bazalar went from 147 recorded bearers to 144. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,185 to #125,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Bazalar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazalar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Bazalar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (130 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bazalar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Bazalar (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 Bazalar mean?
A surname of Turkish origin, potentially derived from "Bazar" meaning "market" or "trader". 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 Bazalar (0.05 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 Bazalar?
You can see how many people are called Bazalar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.