2000
#14,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,958
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Belin
A French topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a birch tree or in a place abundant with birches.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,312 Americans carry the last name Belin. That puts it at #14,287 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,250 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Belin 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
2.3K
1 in 148,250
Census rank
#14,287
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,016 bearers of the surname Belin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14287th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Belin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.7%. The next largest groups are White (31.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (10.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Belin
The surname BELIN originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "bel," meaning "beautiful" or "handsome." The name may have been given as a nickname to someone with a particularly attractive appearance or pleasing personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BELIN surname can be found in the French census records of the 13th century, where it is spelled "Bellin." This variant spelling suggests that the name may have been influenced by the French word "lin," meaning "flax" or "linen," possibly referring to someone involved in the linen trade.
In the 14th century, the BELIN surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a collection of legal documents from the reign of King Edward I. This indicates that the name had spread to England by this time, likely carried by Norman settlers following the conquest of 1066.
During the Renaissance period, the BELIN name gained prominence in France. Notable figures included Jean Belin (1495-1563), a French lawyer and writer who served as a counselor to the Parliament of Paris. Another famous BELIN was Pierre Belin (1547-1634), a French diplomat and historian who served as the ambassador to England and wrote extensively on the history of France.
In the 17th century, the BELIN surname appeared in the records of the French colonies in North America. One such example is Jacques Belin (1620-1687), a fur trader and explorer who established a trading post in what is now Wisconsin, USA.
As the name spread across Europe, it took on various regional spellings and variations. In Germany, for instance, the surname appeared as "Beling" or "Behling," while in Italy it was often spelled "Bellini."
Throughout history, the BELIN surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including Jeanne Belin (1592-1677), a French playwright and poet; Gaspard Belin (1781-1853), a French inventor and pioneer in the field of telegraphy; and Édouard Belin (1876-1963), a French painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Belin
Among Census respondents with the surname Belin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.7%. The next largest groups are White (31.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (10.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Belin 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 Belin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American49.7% · 1,002
- White31.1% · 627
- American Indian and Alaska Native10.2% · 206
- Two or more races5.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Belin
Belin 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
#12,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,398
+440 bearers (+22.5%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 1,264 places
2020
#14,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,016
-382 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,101 | 1,958 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,837 | 2,398 | 0.81 | +440 bearers (+22.5%) | Up 1,264 places |
| 2020 | #14,287 | 2,016 | 0.67 | -382 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 1,450 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 Belin 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 | #12,837 | #14,287 | -11.3% |
| Count | 2,398 | 2,016 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.67 | -16.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Belin bearers went from 2,398 to 2,016 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 1,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,837 to #14,287.
FAQ
Belin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Belin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,312 living Americans carry the surname Belin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,250 residents.
How common is Belin?
Belin ranks #14,287 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,016 people with the surname Belin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,312), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Belin.
Has Belin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Belin went from 2,398 recorded bearers to 2,016. That is a decrease of 382 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,837 to #14,287.
What does the Census say about the background of Belin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Belin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.7%. The next largest groups are White (31.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (10.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Belin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.7% (1,002 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Belin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (49.7%), White (31.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (10.2%). 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 Belin (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 Belin mean?
A French topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a birch tree or in a place abundant with birches. 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 Belin (0.67 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 Belin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.