2000
#31,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 690
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Bi
A Chinese surname derived from a region in Shandong province.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,902 Americans carry the last name Bi. That puts it at #11,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,110 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bi 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 Bi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,110
Census rank
#11,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,531 bearers of the surname Bi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bi
The surname "Bi" is believed to have originated in Italy, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word "bigio," which means "gray" or "pale-colored." This could suggest that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to someone with a pale complexion or gray hair.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from the city of Bologna, dated 1287, which mentions a certain "Petrus Bi." This suggests that the name was already established in the northern Italian region during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in records from the town of Siena, where a family by the name of Bi was documented as being involved in the textile trade. This provides evidence that the name had spread to other parts of Italy and was associated with a specific occupation.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the surname Bi was the Italian artist and architect, Bartolomeo Bi (1445-1521). He is best known for his work on the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence and is considered a significant figure in the transition from Gothic to Renaissance architecture.
Another prominent individual with the Bi surname was the 17th-century Italian mathematician and astronomer, Giovanni Domenico Bi (1625-1698). He made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and is remembered for his work on the elliptical orbits of planets.
In the 19th century, the name appeared in records from the region of Piedmont, where a family by the name of Bi was documented as owning vineyards and producing wine. This suggests that the surname had become associated with the agricultural industry in certain parts of Italy.
Elsewhere in Europe, the surname Bi also appeared in various spellings, such as "Bye" in England and "Bey" in Germany. However, these variations are believed to have different origins and are not directly related to the Italian surname Bi.
It is worth noting that the name "Bi" shares similarities with the Old Norse word "bjarg," which means "rock" or "cliff." This could indicate a possible connection to Scandinavian origins, but there is little evidence to support this theory definitively.
Overall, the surname "Bi" has a rich history rooted in Italy, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. Throughout the centuries, it has been associated with various occupations, artistic and scientific achievements, and even agricultural practices in different regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bi
Among Census respondents with the surname Bi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bi 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 Bi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.7% · 2,271
- White5.1% · 128
- Black or African American2.5% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 46
- Two or more races0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bi
Bi 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
#18,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,438
+748 bearers (+108.4%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Up 12,687 places
2020
#11,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,531
+1,093 bearers (+76.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 7,145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,658 | 690 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,971 | 1,438 | 0.49 | +748 bearers (+108.4%) | Up 12,687 places |
| 2020 | #11,826 | 2,531 | 0.85 | +1,093 bearers (+76.0%) | Up 7,145 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 Bi 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 | #18,971 | #11,826 | 37.7% |
| Count | 1,438 | 2,531 | 76.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.85 | 72.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bi bearers went from 1,438 to 2,531 (+76.0% change). The surname moved up 7,145 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,971 to #11,826.
FAQ
Bi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bi?
Name Census estimates that about 2,902 living Americans carry the surname Bi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,110 residents.
How common is Bi?
Bi ranks #11,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,531 people with the surname Bi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Bi.
Has Bi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bi went from 1,438 recorded bearers to 2,531. That is an increase of 1,093 (+76.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,971 to #11,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Bi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Black (2.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (2,271 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.7%), White (5.1%), Black (2.5%). 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 Bi (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 Bi mean?
A Chinese surname derived from a region in Shandong province. 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 Bi (0.85 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 are called Bi?
If you just want to know how common the surname Bi is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.