2000
#84,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Bilheimer
A surname derived from a Germanic place name meaning "from Bilheim".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 214 Americans carry the last name Bilheimer. That puts it at #102,571 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,601,656 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bilheimer 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
214
1 in 1,601,656
Census rank
#102,571
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
187
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 187 bearers of the surname Bilheimer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102571st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bilheimer
The surname Bilheimer is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have emerged in the region of Bavaria, particularly in the areas around the city of Augsburg, where the name was first recorded in the 14th century.
The name Bilheimer is derived from the German words "Bilch" and "heim," with "Bilch" being an old German word meaning "beaver" and "heim" signifying "home" or "dwelling." It is thought that the name initially referred to a person who lived near a place where beavers were found, perhaps a beaver dam or a river known for its beaver population.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bilheimer can be found in the Augsburg City Archives, where a certain Hans Bilheimer is mentioned in a document dated 1412. This provides evidence of the name's existence in the region during the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Bilheimer name appeared in several historical documents, including the Bavarian State Archives. A notable figure from this period was Johann Bilheimer, a respected scholar and theologian who lived from 1520 to 1587. He was known for his contributions to the Protestant Reformation and his writings on religious matters.
Another significant figure bearing the Bilheimer name was Wilhelm Bilheimer, a prominent architect and builder who lived in the 17th century. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in Augsburg, including the St. Anna Church, which still stands today and is considered a fine example of Baroque architecture.
In the 18th century, the Bilheimer name gained further recognition with the birth of Johann Georg Bilheimer (1725-1799), a renowned painter and engraver. His works, which often depicted religious and historical scenes, were highly regarded and can be found in various museums and private collections across Europe.
As the centuries passed, the Bilheimer name continued to spread throughout Germany and beyond. In the 19th century, a notable Bilheimer was Karl Bilheimer (1818-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist from the city of Munich. He was known for his charitable contributions and his support of various educational and cultural institutions.
Throughout its long history, the surname Bilheimer has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, architects, and entrepreneurs. While the name may have originated in a specific region of Germany, it has since traveled far and wide, serving as a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Germanic lands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bilheimer
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bilheimer 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 Bilheimer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 176
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 5
- Two or more races1.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.1% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bilheimer
Bilheimer 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
#91,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201
-6 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 7,315 places
2020
#102,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 187
-14 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 10,946 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #84,310 | 207 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #91,625 | 201 | 0.07 | -6 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 7,315 places |
| 2020 | #102,571 | 187 | 0.06 | -14 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 10,946 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 Bilheimer 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 | #91,625 | #102,571 | -11.9% |
| Count | 201 | 187 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bilheimer bearers went from 201 to 187 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 10,946 positions in the national ranking, going from #91,625 to #102,571.
FAQ
Bilheimer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bilheimer?
Name Census estimates that about 214 living Americans carry the surname Bilheimer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,601,656 residents.
How common is Bilheimer?
Bilheimer ranks #102,571 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 187 people with the surname Bilheimer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Bilheimer.
Has Bilheimer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bilheimer went from 201 recorded bearers to 187. That is a decrease of 14 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #91,625 to #102,571.
What does the Census say about the background of Bilheimer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Bilheimer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (176 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bilheimer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Bilheimer (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 Bilheimer mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic place name meaning "from Bilheim". 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 Bilheimer (0.06 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 are called Bilheimer?
See how common the surname Bilheimer is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.