2000
#97,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bienenfeld
A German surname meaning "bee field" or "bee meadow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 174 Americans carry the last name Bienenfeld. That puts it at #120,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,969,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bienenfeld 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
174
1 in 1,969,853
Census rank
#120,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
152
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 152 bearers of the surname Bienenfeld in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 120164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bienenfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bienenfeld
The surname BIENENFELD is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the combination of the German words "bienen," meaning "bees," and "feld," meaning "field." This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or location associated with beekeeping or a place where bees were kept or found in abundance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BIENENFELD can be found in the German city of Augsburg in 1567, where a certain Johann BIENENFELD was listed as a resident. The name also appeared in various church records and legal documents in the region during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Friedrich BIENENFELD (1720-1789) was a renowned apiarist and author from the town of Bamberg, Bavaria. His writings on beekeeping techniques and the study of bees were widely acclaimed in his time and contributed to the advancement of apiculture in Germany.
Another individual of historical significance was Johanna BIENENFELD (1805-1879), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Saxony. She established one of the first educational institutions for girls in Dresden and played a pivotal role in promoting equal educational opportunities for women in the region.
In the 19th century, the name BIENENFELD appeared in various places across Germany, with some individuals migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. For instance, Karl BIENENFELD (1835-1912) was a German-born painter who gained recognition for his landscape and portrait works in Vienna, Austria.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a notable figure named Emil BIENENFELD (1868-1946) emerged as a distinguished chemist and inventor from Berlin. He made significant contributions to the field of photochemistry and held several patents for his innovative processes and techniques.
Throughout history, the surname BIENENFELD has been associated with various occupations, including beekeepers, farmers, scholars, artists, and scientists. While the name's origins are rooted in German language and culture, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have embraced the rich heritage and unique identity that this surname represents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bienenfeld
Among Census respondents with the surname Bienenfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bienenfeld 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 Bienenfeld surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 147
- Two or more races2.0% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bienenfeld
Bienenfeld 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
#120,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
-30 bearers (-17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 23,517 places
2020
#120,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
+9 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 737 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,384 | 173 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,901 | 143 | 0.05 | -30 bearers (-17.3%) | Down 23,517 places |
| 2020 | #120,164 | 152 | 0.05 | +9 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 737 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 Bienenfeld 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 | #120,901 | #120,164 | 0.6% |
| Count | 143 | 152 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bienenfeld bearers went from 143 to 152 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 737 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,901 to #120,164.
FAQ
Bienenfeld surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bienenfeld?
Name Census estimates that about 174 living Americans carry the surname Bienenfeld. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,969,853 residents.
How common is Bienenfeld?
Bienenfeld ranks #120,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 152 people with the surname Bienenfeld. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (174), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Bienenfeld.
Has Bienenfeld become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bienenfeld went from 143 recorded bearers to 152. That is an increase of 9 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #120,901 to #120,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Bienenfeld?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bienenfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Bienenfeld in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bienenfeld appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Bienenfeld (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 Bienenfeld mean?
A German surname meaning "bee field" or "bee meadow." 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 Bienenfeld (0.05 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 share the surname Bienenfeld?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.