Find out how popular the last name Bia is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bia.

Bia, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bia in America

Bia is the 27918th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bia surname appeared 859 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bia to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bia

The surname BIA originated in Italy, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 13th centuries. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "via," meaning "road" or "way." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near a prominent road or pathway.

BIA is particularly prevalent in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where some of the earliest records of the name can be found. In the 14th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname BIA in various municipal records and property deeds from cities like Milan and Verona.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname BIA was Giacomo Bia, a merchant and landowner from Bergamo, who lived in the late 13th century. His name appears in several contracts and legal documents dating back to around 1280.

In the 15th century, the name BIA was also found in the records of the Venetian Republic, particularly in connection with the Bia family from the island of Murano, renowned for their expertise in glassmaking. A notable member of this family was Giacomo Bia (1450-1520), a master glassmaker whose works were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons across Europe.

Another historical figure with the surname BIA was Girolamo Bia (1525-1592), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Padua. He authored several influential treatises on Roman law and served as a professor at the University of Padua.

During the Renaissance period, the name BIA was also associated with the arts. Francesco Bia (1570-1635), a painter from Verona, was renowned for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout Northern Italy.

In the 18th century, the BIA surname gained prominence in the field of medicine. Domenico Bia (1710-1784), a physician from Milan, made significant contributions to the study of infectious diseases and authored several medical texts that were widely circulated across Europe.

Throughout history, the surname BIA has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For instance, in some regions, the name was spelled as "Bià" or "Bya," reflecting local dialects and variations in pronunciation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bia

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bia.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bia was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bia has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bia, please contact us.

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