2000
#2,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,051
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.84
Uncommon Last name
Bearden
One who lives near a wooded area or forest, derived from Old English "bearde" meaning "beard" or "forest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,148 Americans carry the last name Bearden. That puts it at #2,845 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,226 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bearden 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
14K
1 in 24,226
Census rank
#2,845
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,338 bearers of the surname Bearden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2845th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bearden, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bearden
The surname Bearden is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Beardon or Berden, which are villages in the county of Essex, England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "bær" meaning "bear" and "dun" meaning "hill," suggesting a connection to a hill or elevated land inhabited by bears.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Berduna." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, served as a comprehensive survey of landholdings across England. The presence of the name in this important record indicates that individuals bearing the surname Bearden were already established in the region during the 11th century.
Throughout the centuries, various spellings of the name have emerged, including Berden, Beardon, Beerden, and Barden. These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name in official documents.
Notable individuals with the surname Bearden include:
1. Thomas Bearden (1902-1971), an American physicist and author known for his contributions to electromagnetic theory and his work on the concept of "scalar waves."
2. Sir John Bearden (1564-1628), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
3. William Bearden (1787-1854), an American politician who served as a United States Representative from North Carolina in the early 19th century.
4. Elizabeth Bearden (1889-1965), an American artist and painter who was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance movement.
5. Romare Bearden (1911-1988), an influential African American artist and writer, best known for his collages that explored themes of African American life and culture.
The name Bearden has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Berden Hall in Essex and Bearden Park in Gloucestershire, further reflecting the locational origins of the surname.
As the centuries passed, individuals bearing the surname Bearden dispersed across different regions, with many migrating to North America during the colonial era and subsequent periods of immigration. Consequently, the name has become well-established in various parts of the world, particularly in countries with strong English heritage and cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bearden
Among Census respondents with the surname Bearden, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bearden 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 Bearden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 10,469
- Black or African American6.6% · 815
- Two or more races3.9% · 482
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 400
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bearden
Bearden 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
#2,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,499
+448 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 4.58
Rank movement Down 127 places
2020
#2,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,338
-1,161 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 4.13
Rank movement Down 175 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,543 | 13,051 | 4.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,670 | 13,499 | 4.58 | +448 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 127 places |
| 2020 | #2,845 | 12,338 | 4.13 | -1,161 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 175 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 Bearden 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 | #2,670 | #2,845 | -6.6% |
| Count | 13,499 | 12,338 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.58 | 4.13 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bearden bearers went from 13,499 to 12,338 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 175 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,670 to #2,845.
FAQ
Bearden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bearden?
Name Census estimates that about 14,148 living Americans carry the surname Bearden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,226 residents.
How common is Bearden?
Bearden ranks #2,845 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,338 people with the surname Bearden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bearden.
Has Bearden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bearden went from 13,499 recorded bearers to 12,338. That is a decrease of 1,161 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,670 to #2,845.
What does the Census say about the background of Bearden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bearden, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bearden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (10,469 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bearden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (6.6%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Bearden (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 Bearden mean?
One who lives near a wooded area or forest, derived from Old English "bearde" meaning "beard" or "forest". 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 Bearden (4.13 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 have the last name Bearden?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Bearden is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.