2000
#8,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,480
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Bish
An English occupational surname referring to a person who sold goods or wares at a stall or shop.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,846 Americans carry the last name Bish. That puts it at #9,313 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,120 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bish 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 Bish with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,120
Census rank
#9,313
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,354 bearers of the surname Bish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9313th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bish, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bish
Among Census respondents with the surname Bish, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bish 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 Bish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 3,038
- Two or more races3.4% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 91
- Black or African American2.3% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bish
Bish 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
#9,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,495
+15 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 622 places
2020
#9,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,354
-141 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,692 | 3,480 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,314 | 3,495 | 1.18 | +15 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 622 places |
| 2020 | #9,313 | 3,354 | 1.12 | -141 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 1 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 Bish 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 | #9,314 | #9,313 | 0.0% |
| Count | 3,495 | 3,354 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.12 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bish bearers went from 3,495 to 3,354 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,314 to #9,313.
FAQ
Bish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bish?
Name Census estimates that about 3,846 living Americans carry the surname Bish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,120 residents.
How common is Bish?
Bish ranks #9,313 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,354 people with the surname Bish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,846), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Bish.
Has Bish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bish went from 3,495 recorded bearers to 3,354. That is a decrease of 141 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,314 to #9,313.
What does the Census say about the background of Bish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bish, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Bish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (3,038 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Bish (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 Bish mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who sold goods or wares at a stall or shop. 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 Bish (1.12 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 Americans have the surname Bish?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.