2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Biliter
A rare surname possibly derived from the Latin words "bilitus" meaning difficult or "bilit" meaning twice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Biliter. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biliter 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Biliter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biliter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biliter
The surname BILITER has its origins in central Europe, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Germany. It first emerged in the 12th century, derived from the Old German word "biliteri," which translates to "one who dwells near a bilberry patch." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived in close proximity to areas where these small, blue-colored berries grew abundantly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BILITER name can be found in the Annals of the Bishopric of Magdeburg, a historical chronicle from the year 1187, which mentions a landowner named Gottfried BILITER. Another early reference comes from the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, where a certain Heinrich BILITER is listed as a witness in a land dispute in the year 1224.
During the 13th century, the BILITER name began to spread beyond its initial geographical confines. In 1267, records from the town of Nürnberg mention a merchant named Hans BILITER, indicating that the name had made its way into the thriving trade centers of southern Germany. By the late Middle Ages, variations such as BILITER, BILLETER, and BILITTER had emerged, likely due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
One notable figure in the history of the BILITER name was Johann BILITER (1540-1618), a theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in the German states. Another individual of note was Anna BILITER (1612-1679), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the town of Regensburg, whose extensive knowledge of medicinal plants earned her widespread recognition.
In the 18th century, the BILITER name gained prominence in the world of academia. Johannes BILITER (1724-1804) was a respected professor of philosophy at the University of Heidelberg, known for his work on ethics and moral philosophy. His contemporary, Wilhelm BILITER (1738-1811), was a celebrated linguist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Germanic languages.
As the centuries progressed, the BILITER name continued to be associated with various professions and fields of endeavor. In the 19th century, Friedrich BILITER (1821-1889) was a pioneering architect whose innovative designs left a lasting impact on the urban landscape of several German cities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biliter
Among Census respondents with the surname Biliter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Biliter 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 Biliter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biliter
Biliter 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+4 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,150 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,716 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 5,150 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,716 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 Biliter 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 | #135,593 | #141,309 | -4.2% |
| Count | 124 | 121 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biliter bearers went from 124 to 121 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,716 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #141,309.
FAQ
Biliter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biliter?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Biliter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Biliter?
Biliter ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Biliter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Biliter.
Has Biliter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biliter went from 124 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Biliter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biliter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Biliter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biliter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Biliter (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 Biliter mean?
A rare surname possibly derived from the Latin words "bilitus" meaning difficult or "bilit" meaning twice. 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 Biliter (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 many people are called Biliter?
Want to know how many people are called Biliter? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.