2000
#7,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,882
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Bing
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or referring to a high-pitched ringing sound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,267 Americans carry the last name Bing. That puts it at #8,506 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,327 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bing 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bing with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,327
Census rank
#8,506
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,721 bearers of the surname Bing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8506th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bing, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (43.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bing
The surname Bing is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bince," which referred to a bench or long seat, potentially indicating that the name's earliest bearers lived near or worked with benches or seating areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bing can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Bing in the county of Somerset.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Byng, Binge, and Byngge, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Dorset, and Devon in southwestern England.
One notable bearer of the name Bing was Sir George Byng (1663-1733), a British naval officer who served as an admiral and played a significant role in the War of the Spanish Succession. He was knighted in 1721 for his military achievements.
Another prominent figure with the surname Bing was John Bing (1778-1856), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects in London, including the Regent's Park and Regent Street developments.
In the 19th century, the surname Bing was also found in Scotland, where it was associated with the town of Bingry in Fife. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Alexander Bing (1811-1894), a Presbyterian minister and author of several religious works.
Other notable individuals with the surname Bing include Rudolf Bing (1902-1997), an Austrian-born opera impresario who served as the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1950 to 1972, and Herman Bing (1889-1965), a German-American artist and illustrator known for his work in children's books and magazines.
While the surname Bing is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with bearers contributing to various fields, including military, architecture, religion, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bing
Among Census respondents with the surname Bing, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (43.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bing 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 Bing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.8% · 1,629
- White43.1% · 1,603
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.4% · 202
- Two or more races4.4% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bing
Bing 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
#8,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,076
+194 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 222 places
2020
#8,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,721
-355 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,911 | 3,882 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,133 | 4,076 | 1.38 | +194 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 222 places |
| 2020 | #8,506 | 3,721 | 1.24 | -355 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 373 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 Bing 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 | #8,133 | #8,506 | -4.6% |
| Count | 4,076 | 3,721 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.24 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bing bearers went from 4,076 to 3,721 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 373 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,133 to #8,506.
FAQ
Bing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bing?
Name Census estimates that about 4,267 living Americans carry the surname Bing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,327 residents.
How common is Bing?
Bing ranks #8,506 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,721 people with the surname Bing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Bing.
Has Bing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bing went from 4,076 recorded bearers to 3,721. That is a decrease of 355 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,133 to #8,506.
What does the Census say about the background of Bing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bing, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (43.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.8% (1,629 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.8%), White (43.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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 Bing (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 Bing mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or referring to a high-pitched ringing sound. 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 Bing (1.24 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 surname Bing?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.