2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bidelspach
A German surname derived from Biedelsbach, a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bidelspach. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bidelspach 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bidelspach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bidelspach, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bidelspach
The surname Bidelspach originates from the German language and can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German words "bitel" meaning "farmstead" or "small farm" and "spach" meaning "forest" or "wooded area." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived or worked on a small farmstead located in a forested region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a church register from the town of Roth, located in the district of Roth in Middle Franconia, Bavaria. The entry, dated 1591, mentions a Hanns Bidelspach who was a farmer in the area. Another early reference is found in the Landshut District Court records from 1612, where a Hans Bidelspach is listed as a landowner.
During the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, including the regions of Württemberg and Baden-Württemberg. In the 1671 tax records of the town of Kornwestheim, located in the district of Ludwigsburg in Württemberg, a Matthias Bidelspach is listed as a resident.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Bidelspacher, Bidelspacer, and Biedelsbach. It is also possible that the name is related to the place name Biedelsbach, a small village in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld in Bavaria.
Notable individuals with the surname Bidelspach include:
1. Johann Bidelspach (1648-1718), a German theologian and author from Württemberg.
2. Hans Bidelspach (1792-1867), a German-born farmer who emigrated to Ohio, United States, in the early 19th century.
3. Katharina Bidelspach (1832-1901), a German-born immigrant to the United States, known for her work in preserving traditional Palatine German folk customs and recipes.
4. Wilhelm Bidelspach (1866-1938), a German-American engineer and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of early automotive technologies.
5. Erwin Bidelspach (1902-1986), a German-American artist and illustrator, recognized for his work in children's literature and magazine illustrations.
While the surname Bidelspach may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, its history and evolution reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the German-speaking regions, as well as the stories of migration and adaptation that have shaped many family histories over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bidelspach
Among Census respondents with the surname Bidelspach, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bidelspach 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 Bidelspach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bidelspach
Bidelspach 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,539 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,040 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,539 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 10,040 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 Bidelspach 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 | #160,975 | #150,935 | 6.2% |
| Count | 100 | 108 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bidelspach bearers went from 100 to 108 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 10,040 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bidelspach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bidelspach?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bidelspach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bidelspach?
Bidelspach ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Bidelspach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Bidelspach.
Has Bidelspach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bidelspach went from 100 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 8 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bidelspach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bidelspach, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Bidelspach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bidelspach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (6.5%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Bidelspach (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 Bidelspach mean?
A German surname derived from Biedelsbach, a place name. 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 Bidelspach (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 Bidelspach?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Bidelspach on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.