2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bedar
Of Hindi origin meaning "awake" or "watchful".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Bedar. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bedar 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Bedar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bedar, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%) and Black (9.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bedar
The surname "BEDAR" is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the region known as the Levant, which includes modern-day countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. The name can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the Islamic conquests of the region.
One theory suggests that "BEDAR" is derived from the Arabic word "badr," which means "full moon." It's possible that the name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who was born on a night with a full moon or had a distinctive round facial feature resembling a full moon.
Another possibility is that the name is related to the Arabic word "bader," which means "one who begins" or "initiator." This could indicate that the original bearer of the name was a pioneer or a leader in their community.
Historical records from the medieval period, such as legal documents and tax registers, have revealed instances of the name "BEDAR" being used in various parts of the Levant. One notable example is found in a 12th-century manuscript from Damascus, which mentions a merchant named Ahmed al-Bedar.
The earliest known individual with the surname "BEDAR" is Salim ibn Bedar, a scholar and poet who lived in Baghdad during the 9th century AD. He is known for his contributions to Arabic literature and his works on Islamic jurisprudence.
In the 11th century, a prominent family known as the Bedars rose to power in the city of Aleppo, Syria. They played a significant role in the local politics and governance of the region during the Seljuk and Ayyubid periods.
Another notable figure with the surname "BEDAR" was Fatima Bedar, a renowned female poet and mystic who lived in Damascus during the 13th century. Her poetry and spiritual writings were highly regarded in her time and have been preserved in various literary anthologies.
In the 16th century, a merchant named Yusuf Bedar is mentioned in Ottoman records as having established trade routes between the Levant and the Indian subcontinent, contributing to the flourishing of commerce during the Ottoman Empire.
Over time, the surname "BEDAR" spread to other parts of the Middle East and North Africa, carried by individuals and families who migrated or were displaced due to various historical events and conflicts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bedar
Among Census respondents with the surname Bedar, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%) and Black (9.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bedar 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 Bedar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.4% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.8% · 17
- Black or African American9.9% · 10
- Two or more races8.9% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bedar
Bedar 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+14 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,751 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-18 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 4,751 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 15,113 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 Bedar 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 | #140,157 | #155,270 | -10.8% |
| Count | 119 | 101 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bedar bearers went from 119 to 101 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 15,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #155,270.
FAQ
Bedar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bedar?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Bedar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Bedar?
Bedar ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Bedar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bedar.
Has Bedar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bedar went from 119 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bedar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bedar, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%) and Black (9.9%). 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 Bedar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.4% (65 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bedar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%), Black (9.9%). 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 Bedar (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 Bedar mean?
Of Hindi origin meaning "awake" or "watchful". 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 Bedar (0.03 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 Bedar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.