2000
#6,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,586
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Rare Last name
Bee
An English occupational surname referring to a beekeeper or seller of honey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,818 Americans carry the last name Bee. That puts it at #6,445 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,913 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bee 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 Bee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,913
Census rank
#6,445
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,074 bearers of the surname Bee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6445th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bee, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bee
The surname "BEE" is of English origin and is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century. It is thought to be an occupational surname, referring to a beekeeper or someone involved in the production of honey. The name is derived from the Old English word "beo" or "beo-cere," meaning "bee" or "bee-keeper," respectively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221, where a person named Adam Bee is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, referring to a person named Willelmus Bee.
In the 14th century, the surname BEE can be found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a person named Johannes Bee is listed. Additionally, in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, a person named Johannes Bee is recorded.
During the 16th century, the surname BEE gained more prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Francis Bee (1515-1578), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Middlesex in 1555.
In the 17th century, the surname BEE continued to be found in various records. For instance, in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1665, a person named John Bee is listed. Additionally, in the Protestation Returns of Buckinghamshire in 1642, a person named William Bee is recorded.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname BEE in history was Bernard Bee (1674-1738), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Bangor from 1718 until his death in 1738.
Another notable person with the surname BEE was Sir Henry Bee (1794-1876), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a rear admiral.
In the 19th century, the surname BEE was also associated with notable individuals, such as Thomas Bee (1806-1876), an American planter and politician who served as a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Overall, the surname "BEE" has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, where it was likely an occupational surname related to beekeeping and honey production.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bee
Among Census respondents with the surname Bee, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bee 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 Bee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.1% · 2,998
- Black or African American17.5% · 889
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.2% · 670
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 241
- Two or more races3.8% · 193
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 83
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bee
Bee 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
#7,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,480
-106 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 658 places
2020
#6,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,074
+594 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Up 989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,776 | 4,586 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,434 | 4,480 | 1.52 | -106 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 658 places |
| 2020 | #6,445 | 5,074 | 1.70 | +594 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 989 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 Bee 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 | #7,434 | #6,445 | 13.3% |
| Count | 4,480 | 5,074 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.70 | 11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bee bearers went from 4,480 to 5,074 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 989 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,434 to #6,445.
FAQ
Bee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bee?
Name Census estimates that about 5,818 living Americans carry the surname Bee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,913 residents.
How common is Bee?
Bee ranks #6,445 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 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 5,074 people with the surname Bee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,818), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 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 Bee.
Has Bee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bee went from 4,480 recorded bearers to 5,074. That is an increase of 594 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,434 to #6,445.
What does the Census say about the background of Bee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bee, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%). 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 Bee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.1% (2,998 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.1%), Black (17.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%). 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 Bee (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 Bee mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a beekeeper or seller of honey. 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 Bee (1.70 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 surname Bee?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.