2000
#10,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Bevis
French topographic surname for someone who lived near a stream, from Old French bief, "canal, irrigation channel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,843 Americans carry the last name Bevis. That puts it at #12,018 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,561 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bevis 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 Bevis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,561
Census rank
#12,018
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,479 bearers of the surname Bevis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12018th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bevis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bevis
The surname Bevis is of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the French personal name Beuves or Bevys. This name is believed to have derived from an Old Frankish name composed of the elements "bi" meaning "near" and "vits" meaning "wood". The name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bevis date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears in various spellings such as Beuvis, Bevys, and Bevis. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, suggesting that it may have originated in the eastern regions of England.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Bevis was Sir Bevis of Hampton, a legendary English knight who was the subject of a popular medieval romance. The tale of Sir Bevis of Hampton, which dates back to the 13th century, recounts the adventures and exploits of this knight, who is depicted as a valiant and chivalrous hero.
Another individual of note was William Bevis, who lived in the late 14th century and was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. Records from this time period indicate that he owned several properties and played an influential role in the city's commercial affairs.
In the 15th century, John Bevis, a clergyman and scholar, served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1448 to 1463. He was known for his contributions to the church and his involvement in various ecclesiastical matters during his tenure as bishop.
Moving into the 16th century, there was Thomas Bevis, a renowned English cartographer and surveyor who lived from around 1510 to 1580. He is best known for his detailed maps and surveys of various regions in England, including the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.
Finally, in the 17th century, John Bevis (1695-1771) was a notable English physician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy, particularly in the areas of comet observation and the study of eclipses. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society and published several works on astronomical subjects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bevis
Among Census respondents with the surname Bevis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bevis 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 Bevis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,278
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 70
- Two or more races2.8% · 69
- Black or African American1.3% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bevis
Bevis 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
#12,068
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,584
-91 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 1,151 places
2020
#12,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,479
-105 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,917 | 2,675 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,068 | 2,584 | 0.88 | -91 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 1,151 places |
| 2020 | #12,018 | 2,479 | 0.83 | -105 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 50 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 Bevis 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 | #12,068 | #12,018 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,584 | 2,479 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.83 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bevis bearers went from 2,584 to 2,479 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,068 to #12,018.
FAQ
Bevis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bevis?
Name Census estimates that about 2,843 living Americans carry the surname Bevis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,561 residents.
How common is Bevis?
Bevis ranks #12,018 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,479 people with the surname Bevis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,843), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Bevis.
Has Bevis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bevis went from 2,584 recorded bearers to 2,479. That is a decrease of 105 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,068 to #12,018.
What does the Census say about the background of Bevis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bevis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bevis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,278 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bevis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bevis (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 Bevis mean?
French topographic surname for someone who lived near a stream, from Old French bief, "canal, irrigation channel." 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 Bevis (0.83 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 last name Bevis?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bevis? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.