2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bilancia
An Italian surname referring to the scales or balance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Bilancia. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bilancia 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Bilancia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilancia, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bilancia
The surname Bilancia originated in Italy during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "bilancia," which means "balance" or "scales." The name likely referred to someone who worked with scales, either as a merchant or a weigher of goods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bilancia can be found in the records of the city of Bologna, where a certain Giovanni Bilancia is mentioned in a document from the year 1327. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 14th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name Bilancia appeared in various historical records across Italy. For instance, a merchant named Antonio Bilancia is recorded as having traded goods between Venice and the Levant in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Bilancia was Pietro Bilancia, a scholar and humanist from Padua who lived from 1501 to 1578. He was renowned for his works on philosophy and literature.
Another historical figure with the surname Bilancia was Giulio Bilancia, born in 1625 in Naples. He was a celebrated architect who designed several notable buildings in his hometown, including the Church of Santa Maria della Sanità.
The surname Bilancia also has a connection to the world of art. Girolamo Bilancia, born in 1655 in Verona, was a respected painter and fresco artist whose works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout northern Italy.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the surname Bilancia was Giuseppe Bilancia, a Italian politician and statesman from Palermo who lived from 1812 to 1892. He served as a member of the Sicilian parliament and played a role in the unification of Italy.
While the surname Bilancia has its roots in Italy, it has also spread to other regions over time, likely through migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the Italian peninsula, where it first emerged as a surname related to the trade of weighing and measuring goods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bilancia
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilancia, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bilancia 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 Bilancia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bilancia
Bilancia 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,953 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 15,953 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,323 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 Bilancia 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 | #153,769 | #149,446 | 2.8% |
| Count | 106 | 110 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bilancia bearers went from 106 to 110 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #149,446.
FAQ
Bilancia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bilancia?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Bilancia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Bilancia?
Bilancia ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Bilancia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Bilancia.
Has Bilancia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bilancia went from 106 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Bilancia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilancia, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (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 Bilancia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bilancia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Black (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 Bilancia (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 Bilancia mean?
An Italian surname referring to the scales or balance. 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 Bilancia (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 common is the surname Bilancia?
You can see how many people are called Bilancia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.