2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bingo
An occupational surname referring to someone who worked in a binge-house or brewery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bingo. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bingo 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bingo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bingo, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.8%) and Two or More Races (15.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bingo
The surname BINGO is of English origin, and it first emerged in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bing," meaning a heap or mound, likely referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill or mound.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BINGO can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated 1195, where a Walter Bingo is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the medieval period in England.
In the 13th century, the name BINGO appeared in various spellings, such as Bingho, Byngho, and Bingoe. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
The name BINGO is also linked to several place names in England, including Bingham in Nottinghamshire and Bingley in West Yorkshire. These locations may have influenced the surname's development and spread across different regions.
One notable figure bearing the surname BINGO was Sir John Bingo, born in 1425 in Lincolnshire. He served as a member of the English Parliament and was knighted for his contributions during the Wars of the Roses.
Another individual with the surname BINGO was Elizabeth Bingo, born in 1587 in Somerset. She was a prominent landowner and philanthropist, known for her support of local charities and educational initiatives.
In the 17th century, the name BINGO appeared in records related to the English Civil War. Thomas Bingo, born in 1612 in Essex, was a Parliamentarian soldier who fought against the Royalist forces.
The BINGO surname also has a connection to the American colonies. William Bingo, born in 1670 in Dorset, England, emigrated to Virginia in the late 17th century and became a successful tobacco plantation owner.
One of the most notable figures with the surname BINGO was Sir Edward Bingo, born in 1745 in Yorkshire. He was a renowned explorer and cartographer, known for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his detailed maps of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
While the surname BINGO is not as common as some other English names, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is associated with various notable individuals and places across England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bingo
Among Census respondents with the surname Bingo, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.8%) and Two or More Races (15.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bingo 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 Bingo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.7% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander24.8% · 26
- Two or more races15.2% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino14.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bingo
Bingo 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-26 bearers (-20.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 33,920 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -26 bearers (-20.2%) | Down 33,920 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 4,245 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 Bingo 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 | #157,234 | #152,989 | 2.7% |
| Count | 103 | 105 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bingo bearers went from 103 to 105 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 4,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bingo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bingo?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bingo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bingo?
Bingo ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Bingo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Bingo.
Has Bingo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bingo went from 103 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bingo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bingo, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.8%) and Two or More Races (15.2%). 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 Bingo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.7% (48 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bingo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (24.8%), Two or More Races (15.2%). 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 Bingo (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 Bingo mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who worked in a binge-house or brewery. 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 Bingo (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 Bingo?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Bingo is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.