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

Biden, 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 Biden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Biden in America

Biden is the 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Biden surname appeared 159 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 Biden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Biden 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.

The history of the last name Biden

The surname Biden is believed to have originated in the English county of Sussex during the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "byd" and "denu," which together mean "a valley where byde or birch trees grow." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near such a valley or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Bidene." This entry refers to a landowner in the village of Bidene, which is now known as Biden in West Sussex. The name is also found in other medieval records from the region, sometimes spelled as "Bydden" or "Byddene."

In the 13th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Biden living in the nearby village of Cuckfield. A document from 1296 mentions a John de Bydden, who was likely a member of a local gentry family.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears to have spread beyond Sussex, with records showing Bidens living in various parts of southern England. One notable figure from this period was William Biden (c. 1550-1622), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Hampshire.

In the 18th century, several members of the Biden family were involved in the British colonial efforts in North America. Thomas Biden (1712-1789) was a ship's captain who transported settlers to the Virginia colony, while his nephew, James Biden (1745-1821), served as a soldier during the American Revolutionary War.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir John Biden (1785-1859), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Devon and rose through the ranks to become an admiral in the Royal Navy.

As the centuries progressed, the Biden surname continued to appear in various parts of England, with some families also establishing roots in other parts of the British Isles and across the Atlantic in North America. While the name may have evolved from its Old English origins, it has maintained a strong presence throughout its long history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Biden

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

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 Biden was:

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

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

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

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