2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bicher
A Bavarian German occupational surname for a barrel maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Bicher. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bicher 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Bicher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bicher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bicher
The surname BICHER is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "bichel," meaning "pickaxe" or "mattock," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade involving mining or digging.
The earliest recorded instances of the name BICHER can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Saxony and Bavaria. In some historical documents, the name appeared with slightly different spellings, such as "Bicher," "Bychir," or "Bychyr."
One notable early reference to the BICHER name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, where a certain "Johannes Bicher" is mentioned as a landowner in the year 1287.
In the 14th century, the BICHER surname appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a family of that name lived and held prominent positions within the local guild system. A certain "Hans Bicher," born around 1350, was a respected master craftsman and member of the Nuremberg Goldsmiths' Guild.
Another notable figure was Johann Bicher, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived in the 16th century (1495-1564). He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the spread of the Reformation throughout Germany.
In the 17th century, the BICHER name was also present in the region of Hesse, where a family of that name owned land and properties in the town of Marburg. One member, Friedrich Bicher (1619-1692), was a respected scholar and professor of law at the University of Marburg.
During the 18th century, the BICHER surname gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where a family of that name established themselves as successful merchants and traders. One notable member was Johann Christian Bicher (1730-1809), a wealthy businessman and philanthropist who donated significant funds to various charitable causes.
As the centuries passed, the BICHER name continued to spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, with families bearing this surname contributing to various fields, including academia, arts, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bicher
Among Census respondents with the surname Bicher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bicher 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 Bicher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 110
- Black or African American4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bicher
Bicher 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,291 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,709 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,291 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,709 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 Bicher 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 | #145,220 | #143,511 | 1.2% |
| Count | 114 | 118 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bicher bearers went from 114 to 118 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,709 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #143,511.
FAQ
Bicher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bicher?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Bicher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Bicher?
Bicher ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Bicher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Bicher.
Has Bicher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bicher went from 114 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bicher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bicher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (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 Bicher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bicher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Black (4.2%), Hispanic (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 Bicher (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 Bicher mean?
A Bavarian German occupational surname for a barrel maker. 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 Bicher (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 have the last name Bicher?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Bicher at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.