2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Biemiller
A Germanic surname derived from words meaning "bee" and "miller", likely referring to an occupation related to beekeeping or honey production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Biemiller. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biemiller 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Biemiller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biemiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biemiller
The surname Biemiller has its origins in Germany, and it is believed to have emerged sometime during the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Germanic words "bie," meaning "bee," and "müller," meaning "miller." This suggests that the surname may have initially been associated with individuals who were involved in the milling or beekeeping trade.
One of the earliest known references to the name Biemiller can be found in a historical document dated back to the late 1500s, which mentions a family by that name residing in the region of Bavaria, in southern Germany. However, it is likely that the name had already been in use for some time before this record.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Biemiller family seems to have spread across various parts of Germany, with records indicating their presence in areas such as Saxony, Thuringia, and Franconia. Some variations in the spelling of the name, such as Biemueller and Bimüller, can also be found in these historical records.
One notable individual bearing the Biemiller surname was Johann Biemiller, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1683 to 1744. His works, which included religious paintings and engravings, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and can still be found in several museums and collections across Europe.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Biemiller, a German military officer and politician who served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) in the late 19th century. He was born in 1838 and played an active role in the political affairs of his time.
In the 20th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the Biemiller surname was Walter Biemiller, an American labor leader and politician who served as the president of the United Steelworkers of America from 1952 to 1976. He was born in 1904 and made significant contributions to the labor movement in the United States.
Another notable figure was Hans Biemiller, a German-born American academic and author who specialized in German literature and language. He was born in 1906 and held prestigious positions at various universities in the United States, including the University of California, Berkeley.
While the surname Biemiller may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and other European countries, due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its historical roots and the fascinating stories behind its origins can still be traced back to the Germanic regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biemiller
Among Census respondents with the surname Biemiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Biemiller 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 Biemiller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biemiller
Biemiller 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,267 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-18 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,448 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,267 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 17,448 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 Biemiller 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 | #129,047 | #146,495 | -13.5% |
| Count | 132 | 114 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biemiller bearers went from 132 to 114 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 17,448 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #146,495.
FAQ
Biemiller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biemiller?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Biemiller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Biemiller?
Biemiller ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Biemiller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Biemiller.
Has Biemiller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biemiller went from 132 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Biemiller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biemiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Biemiller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biemiller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Biemiller (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 Biemiller mean?
A Germanic surname derived from words meaning "bee" and "miller", likely referring to an occupation related to beekeeping or honey production. 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 Biemiller (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 Biemiller?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Biemiller is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.