2000
#9,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Bickham
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a stream" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,956 Americans carry the last name Bickham. That puts it at #9,100 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,642 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bickham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bickham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,642
Census rank
#9,100
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,450 bearers of the surname Bickham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9100th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bickham, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bickham
The surname Bickham has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bic" meaning brook or stream, and "ham" meaning homestead or settlement, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a brook or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bickham can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where it is spelled "Bicham." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1273), where it is spelled "Bickham." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period, as they were often based on local pronunciations and dialects.
The Bickham surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bickham in Devon and Bickham in Somerset. These place names likely served as the basis for the surname, as it was common for people to take on the name of the place where they lived or originated from.
One notable individual with the surname Bickham was George Bickham (1684-1758), an English writing master and engraver who published several influential works on calligraphy and penmanship. His publications, such as "The Universal Penman" (1733) and "The British Monarchy" (1743), were widely acclaimed and contributed to the development of writing styles in the 18th century.
Another noteworthy figure was John Bickham (1626-1667), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of University College, Oxford from 1648 until his death. He was known for his scholarly contributions and his role in the governance of the college during a turbulent period in English history.
In the 19th century, James Bickham (1808-1888), a British architect, left his mark on the architectural landscape of London. He designed several notable buildings, including the York and Albany Hotel (1835) and the Brixton Prison (1819-1821), showcasing his expertise in both residential and institutional architecture.
Additionally, the Bickham surname has been associated with John Bickham Gascoyne (1759-1826), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served as the High Sheriff of Somerset in 1802.
Throughout its history, the Bickham surname has maintained a presence in various regions of England, particularly in the southwest, where it is believed to have originated. While not a commonplace surname, it has been carried by individuals who have contributed to various fields, including calligraphy, academia, architecture, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bickham
Among Census respondents with the surname Bickham, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bickham 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 Bickham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American49.8% · 1,719
- White39.8% · 1,374
- Two or more races5.1% · 175
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 151
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bickham
Bickham 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
#9,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,492
+277 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 18 places
2020
#9,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,450
-42 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 228 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,310 | 3,215 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,328 | 3,492 | 1.18 | +277 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 18 places |
| 2020 | #9,100 | 3,450 | 1.15 | -42 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 228 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 Bickham 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 | #9,328 | #9,100 | 2.4% |
| Count | 3,492 | 3,450 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.15 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bickham bearers went from 3,492 to 3,450 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 228 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,328 to #9,100.
FAQ
Bickham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bickham?
Name Census estimates that about 3,956 living Americans carry the surname Bickham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,642 residents.
How common is Bickham?
Bickham ranks #9,100 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,450 people with the surname Bickham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,956), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bickham.
Has Bickham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bickham went from 3,492 recorded bearers to 3,450. That is a decrease of 42 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,328 to #9,100.
What does the Census say about the background of Bickham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bickham, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bickham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.8% (1,719 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bickham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (49.8%), White (39.8%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Bickham (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 Bickham mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a stream" in Old English. 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 Bickham (1.15 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 common is the surname Bickham?
See how many people are called Bickham on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.