2000
#54,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 356
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Bialik
An Ashkenazi Jewish surname possibly derived from a town name or yiddish term meaning clear or bright.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 408 Americans carry the last name Bialik. That puts it at #61,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 840,084 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bialik 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
408
1 in 840,084
Census rank
#61,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
356
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 356 bearers of the surname Bialik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bialik, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bialik
The surname BIALIK is of Slavic origin, specifically from Poland. It first appeared in the early 19th century and is derived from the Slavic word "bialy," meaning "white." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone with fair or light-colored hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BIALIK can be found in the town of Radzyn, located in the Lublin region of eastern Poland. In 1825, a family by the name of BIALIK was recorded in the town's census records. It's possible that the name may have originated in this area and later spread to other parts of Poland and neighboring countries.
The BIALIK surname is also associated with the renowned Hebrew poet and writer, Hayyim Nahman Bialik (1873-1934). He was born in the village of Rady, located in what is now Ukraine, and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew literature. His works played a significant role in reviving and promoting the Hebrew language and culture.
Another notable figure with the surname BIALIK was Henryk Bialik (1875-1929), a Polish painter and graphic artist. He was born in Warsaw and is known for his landscapes, portraits, and illustrations. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe during his lifetime.
In the late 19th century, a family by the name of BIALIK emigrated from Poland to the United States. One of their descendants, Isaac BIALIK (1887-1959), became a prominent lawyer and community leader in New York City. He was actively involved in various Jewish organizations and worked tirelessly to support the rights and welfare of immigrants.
Another individual with the BIALIK surname was Maria BIALIK (1905-1988), a Polish-born writer and translator. She was born in Krakow and later moved to France, where she became known for her translations of French literature into Polish. Her work helped to bridge the cultural gap between the two countries.
While the surname BIALIK has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe in the early 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bialik
Among Census respondents with the surname Bialik, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bialik 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 Bialik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 327
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 11
- Two or more races2.5% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bialik
Bialik 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
#55,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 371
+15 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,117 places
2020
#61,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 356
-15 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 5,615 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,269 | 356 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,386 | 371 | 0.13 | +15 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 1,117 places |
| 2020 | #61,001 | 356 | 0.12 | -15 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 5,615 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 Bialik 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 | #55,386 | #61,001 | -10.1% |
| Count | 371 | 356 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.12 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bialik bearers went from 371 to 356 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 5,615 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,386 to #61,001.
FAQ
Bialik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bialik?
Name Census estimates that about 408 living Americans carry the surname Bialik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 840,084 residents.
How common is Bialik?
Bialik ranks #61,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 356 people with the surname Bialik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (408), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Bialik.
Has Bialik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bialik went from 371 recorded bearers to 356. That is a decrease of 15 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #55,386 to #61,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Bialik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bialik, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bialik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (327 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bialik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (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 Bialik (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 Bialik mean?
An Ashkenazi Jewish surname possibly derived from a town name or yiddish term meaning clear or bright. 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 Bialik (0.12 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 Bialik?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.