2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bellfy
A surname potentially derived from the Old French "bel" meaning beautiful and "fi" meaning son or child.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Bellfy. 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 Bellfy 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 Bellfy 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 Bellfy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bellfy
The surname BELLFY has its origins in the northern French region of Normandy, dating back to the early 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "belle" and "foy," meaning "beautiful" and "faith," respectively. This combination suggests that the name may have initially been bestowed upon someone known for their physical attractiveness and unwavering loyalty or devotion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BELLFY name can be found in the renowned Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Robert Bellfy residing in the village of Bellefontaine, located in the Calvados region of Normandy.
During the 13th century, the BELLFY name began to appear more frequently in various historical documents and records throughout northern France. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Guillaume BELLFY, a successful merchant from Rouen who lived between 1250 and 1312, and Jeanne BELLFY, a noble lady mentioned in the court records of King Louis IX in 1268.
As the centuries passed, the BELLFY name spread beyond the borders of France. In the 16th century, Jacques BELLFY, a French Huguenot born in 1542, fled religious persecution and sought refuge in the Netherlands, where he and his descendants settled and prospered.
Another notable figure was Sir Edward BELLFY, an English courtier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century. Born in 1558, he was knighted for his distinguished service and played a crucial role in negotiating treaties with several European nations.
In the 18th century, the BELLFY name gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of John BELLFY, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Virginia, born in 1712. His descendants went on to establish themselves as prominent figures in various fields, including politics, business, and academia.
Throughout its long history, the BELLFY surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including the French writer and philosopher Jean-Paul BELLFY (1754-1828), the American industrialist and philanthropist William BELLFY (1819-1892), and the renowned British architect Sir Christopher BELLFY (1891-1965), responsible for designing several iconic buildings in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bellfy
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellfy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bellfy 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 Bellfy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 101
- Two or more races7.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bellfy
Bellfy 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,783 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,783 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 361 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 Bellfy 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 | #143,149 | #142,788 | 0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 119 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bellfy bearers went from 116 to 119 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 361 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #142,788.
FAQ
Bellfy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bellfy?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Bellfy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Bellfy?
Bellfy 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 Bellfy. 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 Bellfy.
Has Bellfy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bellfy went from 116 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Bellfy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellfy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Bellfy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bellfy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Two or More Races (7.6%), Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Bellfy (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 Bellfy mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Old French "bel" meaning beautiful and "fi" meaning son or child. 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 Bellfy (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 many people have the surname Bellfy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.