2000
#12,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,260
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Bisbee
A habitational surname derived from a place name of Norman French origin, possibly meaning "a village near a bishopric."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,434 Americans carry the last name Bisbee. That puts it at #13,668 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,819 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bisbee 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
2.4K
1 in 140,819
Census rank
#13,668
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,123 bearers of the surname Bisbee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13668th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bisbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bisbee
The surname Bisbee is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Devon. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bisceop" or "biscop," which means "bishop," and "byr," meaning "dwelling" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a bishop's residence or that it was a place name referring to a bishop's dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bisbee can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. It mentions a place called "Biscopeberie" in Devon, which is believed to be the origin of the surname.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Biscop," "Bischopp," and "Bischop," reflecting the evolution of the English language and spelling variations at the time.
One notable bearer of the Bisbee surname was John Bisbee, who was born around 1590 in Sandwich, Kent, England. He later immigrated to America and settled in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the early 1600s.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Horatio Bisbee Jr., an American businessman and civic leader who lived from 1839 to 1916. He was a prominent figure in the development of Jacksonville, Florida, and served as the city's mayor from 1893 to 1895.
Thomas Bisbee, born in 1719 in Enfield, Connecticut, was a soldier who fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. He served under General George Washington and participated in several notable battles.
In the literary world, Henry Green Bisbee, born in 1823 in Maine, was a renowned American author and educator. He wrote several textbooks and educational works that were widely used in schools during the 19th century.
Lastly, Edward Bisbee, born in 1835 in New Hampshire, was a prominent engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing several innovative textile machinery designs and held numerous patents for his inventions.
Throughout history, the surname Bisbee has been associated with various locations in England, such as Bisbee, a small hamlet in the county of Devon, and Bisbee's Park, a former park in Bedfordshire. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its origins as a place name related to a bishop's dwelling or enclosure.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bisbee
Among Census respondents with the surname Bisbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bisbee 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 Bisbee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 1,875
- Two or more races3.9% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 77
- Black or African American2.9% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bisbee
Bisbee 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
#13,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,269
+9 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 860 places
2020
#13,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,123
-146 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 237 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,571 | 2,260 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,431 | 2,269 | 0.77 | +9 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 860 places |
| 2020 | #13,668 | 2,123 | 0.71 | -146 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 237 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 Bisbee 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 | #13,431 | #13,668 | -1.8% |
| Count | 2,269 | 2,123 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.71 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bisbee bearers went from 2,269 to 2,123 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 237 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,431 to #13,668.
FAQ
Bisbee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bisbee?
Name Census estimates that about 2,434 living Americans carry the surname Bisbee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,819 residents.
How common is Bisbee?
Bisbee ranks #13,668 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,123 people with the surname Bisbee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,434), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Bisbee.
Has Bisbee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bisbee went from 2,269 recorded bearers to 2,123. That is a decrease of 146 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,431 to #13,668.
What does the Census say about the background of Bisbee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bisbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Bisbee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (1,875 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bisbee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Bisbee (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 Bisbee mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name of Norman French origin, possibly meaning "a village near a bishopric." 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 Bisbee (0.71 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 Bisbee?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.