2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bimler
A German occupational surname denoting a beekeeper or honey dealer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Bimler. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bimler 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Bimler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bimler, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bimler
The surname BIMLER is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is likely derived from the old German word "bimeln," which means "to ring a bell."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BIMLER name can be found in a document from the 16th century, where a certain Hans Bimler is mentioned as a church bell ringer in the town of Augsburg. This lends credence to the theory that the name was initially associated with professions or roles related to bell-ringing and church operations.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the BIMLER name appears in various church records and municipal documents across southern Germany. Notable individuals from this time period include Johann Bimler (1642-1712), a renowned clockmaker and bell founder from Nuremberg, and Matthias Bimler (1705-1778), a respected theologian and author from Ulm.
As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, variations in spelling began to emerge. Some historical documents reference individuals with the surnames Bimmler, Bymler, and Biehmler, all likely derived from the same root word.
In the 19th century, the BIMLER name gained prominence with the birth of Karl Bimler (1819-1884), a celebrated German artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits. Another notable figure was Friedrich Bimler (1858-1932), a pioneering engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early automobiles and internal combustion engines.
As Germans began to emigrate to other parts of the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the BIMLER name spread to various countries. One such individual was Hans Bimler (1876-1948), a German-American businessman who established a successful import-export company in New York City.
Throughout its history, the surname BIMLER has maintained a strong connection to its German roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to the southern regions of Germany. While the name's origins may be linked to professions associated with bell-ringing, its legacy spans various fields, from art and literature to engineering and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bimler
Among Census respondents with the surname Bimler, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bimler 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 Bimler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 8
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bimler
Bimler 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,744 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,744 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Bimler 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 | #151,532 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bimler bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Bimler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bimler?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Bimler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Bimler?
Bimler ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Bimler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Bimler.
Has Bimler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bimler went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Bimler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bimler, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Bimler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bimler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Bimler (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 Bimler mean?
A German occupational surname denoting a beekeeper or honey dealer. 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 Bimler (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 have the last name Bimler?
Want to know how common the surname Bimler is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.