2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bilstein
A German surname derived from a place name meaning "near the woods".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Bilstein. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bilstein 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Bilstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bilstein
The surname Bilstein has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "Bild" meaning "image" or "effigy" and "Stein" meaning "stone." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or a descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a stone carving or effigy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bilstein can be found in the town of Bilstein, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This town was first mentioned in historical records around the year 1200 AD, indicating that the surname may have originated in this area.
During the Middle Ages, the name Bilstein appeared in various regional documents and records, such as land registers and tax rolls. One notable example is the mention of a Johannes Bilstein in a land deed from the year 1387 in the town of Dortmund, located in the same region as the town of Bilstein.
In the 16th century, the name Bilstein began to spread beyond its original region as families migrated to other parts of Germany and Europe. One significant individual bearing this surname was Hans Bilstein, a German clockmaker born in 1545 in the town of Nuremberg. He was renowned for his intricate and innovative clock designs, which were highly sought after by nobility and the wealthy.
Another notable figure with the surname Bilstein was Johann Bilstein, a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who lived from 1593 to 1657. He was a prolific writer and published several works on theology and philosophy, which were widely read and influential during his time.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Bilstein name was Friedrich Bilstein, a German artist and engraver born in 1720 in the city of Berlin. His engravings and etchings depicting landscapes and scenes from everyday life were highly regarded and can be found in various art collections across Europe.
During the 19th century, the Bilstein name gained prominence in the field of engineering and manufacturing. Wilhelm Bilstein, born in 1843 in the city of Remscheid, was the founder of the Bilstein company, which initially produced window fittings and later became a leading manufacturer of automotive suspension components.
One of the most recent notable individuals with the surname Bilstein was Hans-Friedrich Bilstein, a German businessman and entrepreneur who lived from 1920 to 2003. He played a significant role in the expansion and success of the Bilstein company, which became a globally recognized brand in the automotive industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bilstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bilstein 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 Bilstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bilstein
Bilstein appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-15 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,734 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 14,734 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 Bilstein 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 | #134,712 | #149,446 | -10.9% |
| Count | 125 | 110 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bilstein bearers went from 125 to 110 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 14,734 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #149,446.
FAQ
Bilstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bilstein?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Bilstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Bilstein?
Bilstein ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Bilstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Bilstein.
Has Bilstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bilstein went from 125 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Bilstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bilstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bilstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bilstein (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 Bilstein mean?
A German surname derived from a place name meaning "near the woods". 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 Bilstein (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 share the surname Bilstein?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.