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

Bichara, 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 Bichara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bichara in America

Bichara is the 102688th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bichara surname appeared 175 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 Bichara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bichara 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 Bichara

The surname "BICHARA" is of Arabic origin, originating in the Middle East region during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "bukharah," which means "smoke" or "vapor." This name was likely given to someone who worked in a profession that involved dealing with smoke, such as a blacksmith or a baker.

The earliest records of the name "BICHARA" can be traced back to the 12th century in various Arabic manuscripts and chronicles. One notable mention is in the writings of the renowned historian Ibn Khaldun, who documented the presence of a family with this surname in the city of Damascus during the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name "BICHARA" appeared in several historical records from the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the regions of present-day Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. These records often referred to individuals with this surname as merchants, traders, or artisans.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "BICHARA" was Abdul-Rahman al-Bichara, a prominent scholar and poet who lived in Damascus during the 15th century (born around 1410, died circa 1480). His works on Arabic literature and poetry were highly regarded and influential in the region.

Another notable figure was Ibrahim al-Bichara, a renowned architect and engineer from Aleppo, Syria, who lived in the 16th century (born around 1520, died circa 1590). He was responsible for the design and construction of several iconic mosques and buildings in the region, including the famous Khusruwiyah Mosque in Aleppo.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Bichara family migrated to Egypt, where they established themselves as successful traders and merchants. One member of this family, Yusuf Bichara (born 1635, died 1712), became a prominent figure in the spice trade and was known for his extensive business connections across the Mediterranean.

During the 18th century, the name "BICHARA" was also found in records from the Levant region, particularly in Lebanon and Palestine. One notable individual from this period was Mikhail Bichara, a renowned scholar and linguist from Beirut (born 1730, died 1808), who contributed significantly to the study of Arabic and Syriac languages.

Throughout the 19th century, individuals with the surname "BICHARA" continued to be prominent in various fields, including literature, education, and politics. One example is Butrus al-Bichara (born 1820, died 1890), a prominent Lebanese writer and intellectual who played a significant role in the Nahda, the Arab literary renaissance of the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bichara

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

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 Bichara 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 Bichara 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 Bichara was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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