2000
#4,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,672
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.84
Uncommon Last name
Bear
An English surname derived from a nickname or emblem, referring to the animal or someone with a bearlike quality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,314 Americans carry the last name Bear. That puts it at #3,845 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bear 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 Bear with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,232
Census rank
#3,845
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,994 bearers of the surname Bear in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3845th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bear, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (8.8%) and Hispanic (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bear
The surname "Bear" is of English origin and has its roots in the Old English word "bera," which means "bear" – the powerful and formidable forest-dwelling animal. This name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who exhibited bear-like characteristics, such as strength, fierceness, or a burly appearance. Alternatively, it may have been derived from a place name associated with bears.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Bear" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bere" – an Old English spelling variant. This suggests that the name had been in use among the Anglo-Saxon population before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
During the Middle Ages, the surname "Bear" spread across various regions of England, with its spelling evolving to include variations like "Beare," "Beere," and "Beere." The name was particularly prevalent in counties like Berkshire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire, where place names like "Bear Wood" and "Bearley" were derived from the same root.
Notable individuals who bore the surname "Bear" throughout history include John Bear (c. 1350-1415), a wealthy landowner and merchant from Somerset, England; William Bear (1574-1642), an English clergyman and author of religious texts; and Thomas Bear (1663-1733), a British Member of Parliament for the borough of Huntingdon.
Across the Atlantic, the surname "Bear" also took root in the American colonies. One prominent figure was James Bear (1762-1838), a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania who later became a Baptist minister. Additionally, Robert Bear (1811-1879), a prosperous farmer and businessman from Ohio, played a significant role in the early development of the state's agricultural industry.
As time passed, the surname "Bear" continued to gain prominence, with individuals from various backgrounds and professions bearing this name. Examples include John Bear (1825-1899), a British architect and designer of several notable buildings in London; Mary Bear (1885-1972), an American artist and educator known for her landscape paintings; and Edward Bear (1895-1963), a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament for over two decades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bear
Among Census respondents with the surname Bear, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (8.8%) and Hispanic (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bear 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 Bear surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.0% · 6,657
- American Indian and Alaska Native8.8% · 789
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 670
- Two or more races5.5% · 496
- Black or African American2.6% · 232
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 150
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bear
Bear 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
#4,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,252
+580 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 2.80
Rank movement Down 30 places
2020
#3,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,994
+742 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 3.01
Rank movement Up 463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,278 | 7,672 | 2.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,308 | 8,252 | 2.80 | +580 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 30 places |
| 2020 | #3,845 | 8,994 | 3.01 | +742 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 463 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 Bear 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 | #4,308 | #3,845 | 10.7% |
| Count | 8,252 | 8,994 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.80 | 3.01 | 7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bear bearers went from 8,252 to 8,994 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 463 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,308 to #3,845.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bear
FAQ
Bear surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bear?
Name Census estimates that about 10,314 living Americans carry the surname Bear. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,232 residents.
How common is Bear?
Bear ranks #3,845 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,994 people with the surname Bear. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bear.
Has Bear become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bear went from 8,252 recorded bearers to 8,994. That is an increase of 742 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,308 to #3,845.
What does the Census say about the background of Bear?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bear, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (8.8%) and Hispanic (7.4%). 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 Bear in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.0% (6,657 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bear appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (8.8%), Hispanic (7.4%). 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 Bear (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 Bear mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname or emblem, referring to the animal or someone with a bearlike quality. 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 Bear (3.01 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 share the surname Bear?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.