2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bichon
A surname originating from French, meaning 'small dog' or 'lap dog'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Bichon. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bichon 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Bichon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bichon, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bichon
The surname "BICHON" originates from France, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bichon," which referred to a small, fluffy dog breed. This term itself traces its roots back to the Gallo-Romance word "bichon," meaning "small pet."
One of the earliest known references to the surname BICHON can be found in the town records of Montpellier, where a certain Jean BICHON was listed as a resident in 1567. The name also appeared in the parish records of Marseille, where a family by the name of BICHON was recorded in the late 1500s.
During the 17th century, the BICHON surname began to spread across various regions of France, with records showing families bearing this name in Normandy, Brittany, and the Loire Valley. In the 1670s, a notable figure named Jacques BICHON was a prominent merchant in the city of Lyon.
As the surname gained prominence, it was sometimes associated with place names or adopted variations in spelling. For instance, in the village of Bichonville, near Dijon, there was a family of landowners known as the BICHON de Bichonville in the 18th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the BICHON surname was Pierre BICHON, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1390 and is mentioned in the chronicles of the time for his bravery in battle.
Another notable figure was Jean-Baptiste BICHON, a celebrated artist and engraver who lived in Paris during the late 17th century (1642-1718). His intricate etchings and engravings were highly sought after by art collectors and nobles of the time.
In the realm of literature, the BICHON name is associated with François BICHON, a poet and playwright who lived in the 18th century (1720-1782). His works, often satirical in nature, were widely popular during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Alexandre BICHON (1805-1878), a renowned French botanist and explorer. His expeditions to South America and the Caribbean led to the discovery of several new plant species, which he meticulously documented and cataloged.
Lastly, a prominent figure in the field of architecture was Émile BICHON (1871-1947), who designed several iconic buildings in Paris, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Palais de la Découverte.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bichon
Among Census respondents with the surname Bichon, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bichon 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 Bichon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino20.8% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 6
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bichon
Bichon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-10 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,923 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 6,923 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 Bichon 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 | #148,347 | #155,270 | -4.7% |
| Count | 111 | 101 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bichon bearers went from 111 to 101 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 6,923 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #155,270.
FAQ
Bichon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bichon?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Bichon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Bichon?
Bichon ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Bichon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bichon.
Has Bichon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bichon went from 111 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bichon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bichon, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Bichon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bichon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Hispanic (20.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Bichon (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 Bichon mean?
A surname originating from French, meaning 'small dog' or 'lap dog'. 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 Bichon (0.03 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 are called Bichon?
You can see how common the surname Bichon is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.