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

Bilas, 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 Bilas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bilas in America

Bilas is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bilas surname appeared 189 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 Bilas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bilas 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 Bilas

The surname Bilas has its origins in Poland, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "bialy," which means "white" or "fair-haired." This suggests that the name may have been used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with light-colored hair or fair complexions.

One of the earliest documented references to the Bilas name can be found in the parish records of the village of Sułkowice, located in the southern region of Poland. In these records, a man named Jan Bilas is mentioned as a resident of the village in the year 1589.

As the name spread across Poland, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Bilass, Biłas, and Billas. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the phonetic preferences of local scribes.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bilas surname gained prominence in the Polish nobility and landholding classes. One notable figure from this period was Mikołaj Bilas, a wealthy landowner who lived in the town of Lublin from 1645 to 1712. His descendants continued to play a significant role in the region's affairs for generations.

In the 19th century, as Polish immigrants began to settle in other parts of Europe and the Americas, the Bilas name traveled with them. One such individual was Kazimierz Bilas, a Polish-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War and was born in Warsaw in 1840.

Another notable figure with the Bilas surname was Wacław Bilas, a Polish philosopher and academic who lived from 1888 to 1967. He made significant contributions to the field of ethics and served as a professor at the University of Warsaw.

As the 20th century progressed, the Bilas name continued to spread globally, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields. For instance, Mieczysław Bilas was a prominent Polish architect who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw during the mid-20th century.

While the Bilas surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since evolved into a distinct and widely recognized Polish surname, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bilas

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

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

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

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