2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Belinda
From the Celtic word "bel" meaning beautiful, lovely.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Belinda. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Belinda 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Belinda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Belinda, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Black (8.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Belinda
The surname "BELINDA" is an English surname derived from the medieval French personal name "Belinde". This name is thought to have originated from the Germanic elements "bel" meaning "bright" or "beautiful" and "lind" meaning "serpent" or "snake". The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in England.
The surname is believed to have first emerged in the county of Oxfordshire, specifically in the village of Brill. Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries mention several individuals with the surname "Belinda" residing in this area. One notable example is John Belinda, a landowner mentioned in the Oxfordshire Feet of Fines from 1292.
During the Middle Ages, the name also appeared in various medieval manuscripts and court records across England. For instance, a certain William Belinda is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1379 list a Thomas Belinda as a taxpayer in the county.
The earliest known person of note to bear the surname "Belinda" was Sir Robert Belinda, a knight who lived during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. He is recorded as participating in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347 during the Hundred Years' War.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Belinda, a 16th-century noblewoman who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. She was born in 1545 and died in 1617. Her family originated from the village of Brill in Oxfordshire, further solidifying the connection between the surname and that region.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records across England. One notable example is Thomas Belinda, a merchant from London who was born in 1632 and died in 1698. He is mentioned in several trade documents and shipping records from the period.
During the 18th century, the surname "Belinda" spread beyond England to other parts of the British Isles. One notable individual was Sir Arthur Belinda, an Irish politician and landowner who lived from 1712 to 1786. He served as a member of the Irish House of Commons and was known for his support of the Irish Patriot movement.
In the 19th century, the name continued to be found across various parts of the United Kingdom. One notable figure was Sir William Belinda, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1801 to 1872. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions in Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Belinda
Among Census respondents with the surname Belinda, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Black (8.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Belinda 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 Belinda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.1% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino12.6% · 15
- Black or African American8.4% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 5
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Belinda
Belinda 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,124 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+14 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 18,124 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 12,119 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 Belinda 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 | #154,907 | #142,788 | 7.8% |
| Count | 105 | 119 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Belinda bearers went from 105 to 119 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #142,788.
FAQ
Belinda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Belinda?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Belinda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Belinda?
Belinda ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Belinda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Belinda.
Has Belinda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Belinda went from 105 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 14 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Belinda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Belinda, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Black (8.4%). 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 Belinda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Belinda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.1%), Hispanic (12.6%), Black (8.4%). 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 Belinda (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 Belinda mean?
From the Celtic word "bel" meaning beautiful, lovely. 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 Belinda (0.04 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 common is the surname Belinda?
See how many people have the surname Belinda on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.