2000
#10,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,890
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Biller
An occupational surname referring to a clerk, scribe, or one responsible for writing or sending bills and invoices.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,170 Americans carry the last name Biller. That puts it at #10,991 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,124 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biller 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
3.2K
1 in 108,124
Census rank
#10,991
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,764 bearers of the surname Biller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10991st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biller, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biller
The surname BILLER has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "bille," which translates to "ax" or "hatchet." This suggests that the name was initially associated with occupations involving woodcutting or forestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BILLER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a certain Henricus Biller was mentioned in 1295. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the 13th century in the region now known as eastern Germany.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different parts of Germany. For example, in 1375, a Johannes Biller was listed in the city records of Nuremberg, indicating the presence of the name in the southern part of the country.
The BILLER surname has also been associated with certain place names, such as Billerhusen (now known as Billenhausen), a village in Lower Saxony. This connection suggests that some bearers of the name may have originated from or resided in this particular location.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname BILLER was Johannes Biller, a German composer and organist who lived from around 1430 to 1510. He was known for his contributions to sacred music during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the name BILLER appeared in various historical documents, including the Einwohnerbuch der Reichsstadt Nürnberg (Resident Book of the Imperial City of Nuremberg), where several individuals with this surname were recorded.
Another notable figure was Christoph Biller, a German theologian and Lutheran reformer who lived from 1534 to 1607. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was known for his writings on theological subjects.
During the 17th century, the BILLER surname continued to be found in various parts of Germany. For example, in 1675, a Johann Georg Biller was recorded as a resident of the city of Erfurt, located in the central region of the country.
One of the most prominent individuals with the BILLER surname was Georg Biller, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1693 to 1766. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy, and his works were widely recognized during his lifetime.
As the centuries progressed, the BILLER surname spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with bearers of the name settling in various countries and regions. However, its roots remain firmly rooted in the historical records of Germany, where the name first emerged and gained prominence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biller
Among Census respondents with the surname Biller, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Biller 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 Biller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,552
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 100
- Two or more races2.9% · 79
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biller
Biller 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
#10,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,028
+138 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 353 places
2020
#10,991
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,764
-264 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,234 | 2,890 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,587 | 3,028 | 1.03 | +138 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 353 places |
| 2020 | #10,991 | 2,764 | 0.92 | -264 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 404 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 Biller 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 | #10,587 | #10,991 | -3.8% |
| Count | 3,028 | 2,764 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.92 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biller bearers went from 3,028 to 2,764 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 404 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,587 to #10,991.
FAQ
Biller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biller?
Name Census estimates that about 3,170 living Americans carry the surname Biller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,124 residents.
How common is Biller?
Biller ranks #10,991 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,764 people with the surname Biller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,170), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Biller.
Has Biller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biller went from 3,028 recorded bearers to 2,764. That is a decrease of 264 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,587 to #10,991.
What does the Census say about the background of Biller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biller, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Biller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,552 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Biller (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 Biller mean?
An occupational surname referring to a clerk, scribe, or one responsible for writing or sending bills and invoices. 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 Biller (0.92 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 Americans have the surname Biller?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.