2000
#82,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Bilbrew
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the town of Bilbrough.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 315 Americans carry the last name Bilbrew. That puts it at #75,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,088,109 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bilbrew 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
315
1 in 1,088,109
Census rank
#75,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
275
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 275 bearers of the surname Bilbrew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbrew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bilbrew
The surname BILBREW appears to have originated in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "bil" meaning "sword" or "staff" and "broc" meaning "brook" or "stream". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a stream or brook where swords or staffs were made or traded.
One of the earliest known references to the BILBREW name can be found in parish records from the village of Pitstone, Buckinghamshire, where a Thomas Bilbrew was recorded in 1592. Similar spellings such as Bilbroe and Bilbrowe were also found in nearby areas during the same time period.
The BILBREW surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was John Bilbrew, a merchant from London who was recorded in the Guild of Mercers in 1622. Another was William Bilbrew, a farmer from Oxfordshire who served in the English Civil War under Oliver Cromwell in the 1640s.
In the 18th century, a family by the name of BILBREW was prominent in the county of Gloucestershire. Robert BILBREW (1712-1789) was a successful landowner and magistrate, while his son Thomas BILBREW (1745-1822) was a renowned botanist and horticulturist who cultivated many rare plant species on his estate.
Moving into the 19th century, the BILBREW name can be found in various parts of England and Wales. One notable figure was James BILBREW (1803-1871), a clergyman from Shropshire who became a prominent advocate for educational reform and founded several schools in the region.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth BILBREW (1822-1897), a writer and poet from Cornwall who published several volumes of poetry and prose works during the Victorian era. Her works often explored themes of nature and rural life in the English countryside.
While the BILBREW surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the English counties of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, farmers, clergymen, botanists, and writers, contributing to the diverse tapestry of English cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bilbrew
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbrew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bilbrew 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 Bilbrew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.9% · 239
- Two or more races5.5% · 15
- White4.7% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bilbrew
Bilbrew 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
#76,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
+39 bearers (+18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 5,990 places
2020
#75,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 275
+22 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82,019 | 214 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,029 | 253 | 0.09 | +39 bearers (+18.2%) | Up 5,990 places |
| 2020 | #75,616 | 275 | 0.09 | +22 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 413 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 Bilbrew 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 | #76,029 | #75,616 | 0.5% |
| Count | 253 | 275 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bilbrew bearers went from 253 to 275 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,029 to #75,616.
FAQ
Bilbrew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bilbrew?
Name Census estimates that about 315 living Americans carry the surname Bilbrew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,088,109 residents.
How common is Bilbrew?
Bilbrew ranks #75,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 275 people with the surname Bilbrew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (315), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Bilbrew.
Has Bilbrew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bilbrew went from 253 recorded bearers to 275. That is an increase of 22 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #76,029 to #75,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Bilbrew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbrew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bilbrew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bilbrew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.9%), Two or More Races (5.5%), White (4.7%). 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 Bilbrew (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 Bilbrew mean?
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the town of Bilbrough. 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 Bilbrew (0.09 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 Bilbrew?
Find out how many people have the last name Bilbrew on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.