Bidegain last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bidegain

A Basque surname meaning "beside the path" or "near the path".

Bidegain, 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 Bidegain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bidegain in America

Bidegain is the 143149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bidegain surname appeared 116 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 Bidegain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bidegain 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank14314912331414.89%
Count116129-10.61%
Proportion per 100k0.040.05-22.22%

The history of the last name Bidegain

The surname Bidegain originates from the Basque region of Spain and France, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Basque words "bide" meaning "path" or "way," and "gain" meaning "top" or "summit," suggesting a connection to a place located on a high path or trail.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bidegain can be found in the "Fueros de Navarra," a compilation of laws and customs from the Kingdom of Navarre in the 13th century. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the provinces of Lapurdi and Nafarroa Beherea, located in the Northern Basque Country.

In the 16th century, a prominent individual named Juan Bidegain was mentioned in historical records as a prominent landowner and influential figure in the town of Hendaye, located in the Basque region of France. His descendants continued to play an important role in the local community for several generations.

Another notable bearer of the Bidegain surname was Pedro Bidegain, a Basque explorer and navigator who accompanied the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. Pedro Bidegain's detailed accounts of the conquest of Mexico and the Aztec civilization provided valuable historical insights.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bidegain name was associated with several prominent Basque families involved in the whaling and fishing industries, particularly in the coastal towns of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure. One such individual was Martin Bidegain (1645-1721), a renowned shipbuilder and naval architect who designed and constructed several whaling vessels.

In the 19th century, the Bidegain surname gained recognition in the field of Basque literature and academia. Notable figures included Julien Bidegain (1810-1879), a Basque linguist and author who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of the Basque language and culture.

As the Basque diaspora spread across the globe, the Bidegain surname traveled with them, becoming established in various parts of the world, including the Americas, where it can be found among descendants of Basque immigrants who settled in regions like California, Nevada, and Argentina.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bidegain

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

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 Bidegain was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only70.69%82
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin25.86%30

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 Bidegain has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White70.69%69.77%1.31%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.00%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%0.00%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%8.53%(S)%
Hispanic25.86%20.93%21.07%

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

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

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