2000
#11,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,408
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Bellis
An English surname derived from the French word "belle," meaning "beautiful," or referring to someone who lived near a bell tower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,659 Americans carry the last name Bellis. That puts it at #12,709 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bellis 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 Bellis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,903
Census rank
#12,709
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,319 bearers of the surname Bellis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12709th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bellis
The surname Bellis is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "belle," meaning "beautiful" or "fair." It is thought to have emerged as a descriptive nickname in medieval times, possibly referring to someone with a striking appearance or a fair complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards, including the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a Thomas Bellis. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a John Bellis.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, with a reference to a Thomas Bellis in 1349. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a William Bellis, while the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1380 list a John Bellis.
During the 16th century, the surname Bellis was found in various parts of England, including London, where a Robert Bellis was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1541. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1576 mention a William Bellis.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Bellis was Sir John Bellis (c. 1560-1630), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1608-1609.
Another notable figure was Robert Bellis (1620-1695), an English mathematician and astronomer who published works on navigation and astronomy.
In the 18th century, John Bellis (1714-1795) was a prominent English engraver and printmaker known for his architectural and landscape prints.
The 19th century saw the birth of James Bellis (1835-1899), a British architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Bellis was Sir Edward Bellis (1882-1964), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bellis Charitable Trust, which supported various educational and charitable initiatives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bellis
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bellis 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 Bellis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,110
- Two or more races3.8% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 74
- Black or African American1.2% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bellis
Bellis 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
#11,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,628
+220 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 11 places
2020
#12,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,319
-309 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,903 | 2,408 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,914 | 2,628 | 0.89 | +220 bearers (+9.1%) | Down 11 places |
| 2020 | #12,709 | 2,319 | 0.78 | -309 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 795 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 Bellis 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 | #11,914 | #12,709 | -6.7% |
| Count | 2,628 | 2,319 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.78 | -12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bellis bearers went from 2,628 to 2,319 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 795 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,914 to #12,709.
FAQ
Bellis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bellis?
Name Census estimates that about 2,659 living Americans carry the surname Bellis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,903 residents.
How common is Bellis?
Bellis ranks #12,709 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,319 people with the surname Bellis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,659), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Bellis.
Has Bellis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bellis went from 2,628 recorded bearers to 2,319. That is a decrease of 309 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,914 to #12,709.
What does the Census say about the background of Bellis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Bellis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bellis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Bellis (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 Bellis mean?
An English surname derived from the French word "belle," meaning "beautiful," or referring to someone who lived near a bell tower. 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 Bellis (0.78 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 Bellis?
Want to know how many people have the surname Bellis? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.