2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bial
A surname likely of Polish origin referring to someone who lived near a white or pale area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Bial. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bial 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Bial in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bial, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bial
The surname BIAL is believed to have originated in Poland, where it first appeared in records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Polish word "bialy," which means "white" or "fair," suggesting that the name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with light-colored hair or a fair complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BIAL surname can be found in the "Akta Metrykalne" (parish records) of the city of Krakow from the late 1500s. These records mention a certain Jan BIAL, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city during that time.
In the 17th century, the BIAL name was also found in the town of Bialystok, which is located in northeastern Poland. The town's name itself is derived from the same root word as the surname, suggesting a possible connection between the place and the family name.
A notable figure bearing the BIAL surname was Franciszek BIAL (1834-1916), a Polish painter and art teacher who was known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in several museums and galleries throughout Poland.
Another historical figure with the BIAL surname was Józef BIAL (1866-1935), a Polish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Warsaw School of Economics.
In the 19th century, the BIAL name made its way to other parts of Europe, with some bearers of the surname settling in countries like Germany and France. One such individual was August BIAL (1821-1892), a German businessman and industrialist who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in Saxony.
Throughout its history, the BIAL surname has also been associated with various place names and alternative spellings. In some regions of Poland, it was recorded as "Biały" or "Bialek," while in other parts of Europe, it appeared as "Bial," "Biahl," or "Biehl."
Other notable figures with the BIAL surname include Kazimierz BIAL (1902-1980), a Polish mathematician and logician who made significant contributions to the field of set theory, and Maria BIAL (1904-1986), a Polish actress and theater director who was renowned for her performances in classical plays.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bial
Among Census respondents with the surname Bial, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bial 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 Bial surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 89
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Black or African American3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bial
Bial 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-18 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 27,989 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 27,989 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,793 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 Bial 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 | #158,432 | #151,639 | 4.3% |
| Count | 102 | 107 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bial bearers went from 102 to 107 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #151,639.
FAQ
Bial surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bial?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Bial. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Bial?
Bial ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Bial. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Bial.
Has Bial become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bial went from 102 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Bial?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bial, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Bial in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bial appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Black (3.7%). 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 Bial (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 Bial mean?
A surname likely of Polish origin referring to someone who lived near a white or pale area. 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 Bial (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 share the surname Bial?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.