2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bichara
A surname indicating compassion or pity for someone in distress or difficulty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 202 Americans carry the last name Bichara. That puts it at #107,521 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,696,804 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bichara 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
202
1 in 1,696,804
Census rank
#107,521
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
176
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 176 bearers of the surname Bichara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 107521st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bichara, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bichara
Among Census respondents with the surname Bichara, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bichara 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 Bichara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.9% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino32.4% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.5% · 15
- Black or African American5.1% · 9
- Two or more races4.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bichara
Bichara 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
#102,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 175
+64 bearers (+57.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 36,053 places
2020
#107,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+1 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,833 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #102,688 | 175 | 0.06 | +64 bearers (+57.7%) | Up 36,053 places |
| 2020 | #107,521 | 176 | 0.06 | +1 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 4,833 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 Bichara 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 | #102,688 | #107,521 | -4.7% |
| Count | 175 | 176 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bichara bearers went from 175 to 176 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 4,833 positions in the national ranking, going from #102,688 to #107,521.
FAQ
Bichara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bichara?
Name Census estimates that about 202 living Americans carry the surname Bichara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,696,804 residents.
How common is Bichara?
Bichara ranks #107,521 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 176 people with the surname Bichara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Bichara.
Has Bichara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bichara went from 175 recorded bearers to 176. That is an increase of 1 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #102,688 to #107,521.
What does the Census say about the background of Bichara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bichara, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%). 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 Bichara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bichara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.9%), Hispanic (32.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%). 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 Bichara (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 Bichara mean?
A surname indicating compassion or pity for someone in distress or difficulty. 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 Bichara (0.06 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 have the surname Bichara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.