2000
#8,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,395
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Biles
Derived from the Old English word "bile," referring to a shelter or dwelling place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,475 Americans carry the last name Biles. That puts it at #10,138 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,634 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biles 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Biles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,634
Census rank
#10,138
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,030 bearers of the surname Biles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10138th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biles, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biles
The surname BILES has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, specifically a location called "Biles" or "Byles" in the county of Gloucestershire. This place name itself is derived from the Old English words "bil" or "byll," meaning a hill or ridge, and "leah," meaning a clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BILES can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a certain "John de Byles." The Subsidy Rolls were tax records kept by the English government during the 14th century.
Another notable historical reference to the surname BILES comes from the Feet of Fines for Gloucestershire in 1541, which documents a land transaction involving a person named "Thomas Byles." The Feet of Fines were legal records of land transfers and property disputes.
In the 16th century, the BILES surname appears to have been primarily concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, with some variations in spelling such as "Byles" and "Billes." This is evident in parish records and legal documents from that period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname BILES was William Biles, a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) who was born in Gloucestershire around 1640. He was known for his active involvement in the Quaker community and his efforts in promoting religious tolerance.
Another notable figure was John Biles, a prominent architect and builder who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings in the city of Bristol, including the impressive St. Michael's Hill Shot Tower in 1719.
In the 19th century, a family of BILES was recorded as residing in the village of Painswick in Gloucestershire. Among them was Henry Biles (1805-1881), a respected local farmer and landowner who played an active role in the community.
The surname BILES also has ties to the United States, with several individuals bearing this name immigrating from England in the 17th and 18th centuries. One such individual was Thomas Biles, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 and settled in what is now Bucks County.
Another notable figure with the BILES surname was James Biles (1825-1901), a British-born engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and boilers. He held several patents and was widely recognized for his innovative designs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biles
Among Census respondents with the surname Biles, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Biles 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 Biles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.2% · 2,189
- Black or African American16.8% · 508
- Two or more races5.5% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 128
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biles
Biles 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
#9,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,278
-117 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 1,002 places
2020
#10,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,030
-248 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,868 | 3,395 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,870 | 3,278 | 1.11 | -117 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 1,002 places |
| 2020 | #10,138 | 3,030 | 1.01 | -248 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 268 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 Biles 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 | #9,870 | #10,138 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,278 | 3,030 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.01 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biles bearers went from 3,278 to 3,030 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,870 to #10,138.
FAQ
Biles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biles?
Name Census estimates that about 3,475 living Americans carry the surname Biles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,634 residents.
How common is Biles?
Biles ranks #10,138 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,030 people with the surname Biles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,475), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Biles.
Has Biles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biles went from 3,278 recorded bearers to 3,030. That is a decrease of 248 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,870 to #10,138.
What does the Census say about the background of Biles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biles, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Biles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.2% (2,189 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.2%), Black (16.8%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Biles (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 Biles mean?
Derived from the Old English word "bile," referring to a shelter or dwelling place. 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 Biles (1.01 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 Biles?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Biles is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.