Find out how popular the last name Bish is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bish.

Bish, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bish in America

Bish is the 9314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bish surname appeared 3,495 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bish to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bish

The surname BISH has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "biscop," which means "bishop." This suggests that the name likely originated as a occupational surname, referring to someone who worked in a religious capacity or had some connection to a bishop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BISH can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Biscop, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname BISH.

In the 13th century, records show a notable figure named Richard le Bish, who was a landowner in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation, "le Bish," was common during this period and indicated that Richard came from a place or held lands associated with the name.

During the 16th century, the name BISH appeared in various historical records, including parish registers and court documents. One prominent individual from this time was John Bish, born in 1534, who was a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Somerset.

In the 17th century, the BISH surname gained further prominence with the birth of Thomas Bish (1638-1712), a renowned philosopher and theologian who studied at Oxford University and later became a respected author and academic.

Another notable figure with the BISH surname was Sir Edward Bish (1790-1856), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. His distinguished military career and political involvement brought recognition to the BISH name during the 19th century.

Other historical figures bearing the BISH surname include the artist William Bish (1820-1898), known for his landscape paintings, and the explorer and naturalist Jane Bish (1846-1912), who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the British colonies.

While the surname BISH may not be as widely known as some other English surnames, its history can be traced back to the medieval period, and it has been associated with notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bish

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bish.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bish was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bish has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bish was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bish, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!