2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bishun
A surname believed to derive from the Indian word "vishnu," referring to a Hindu deity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bishun. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bishun 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bishun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bishun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 37.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.9%) and Hispanic (16.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bishun
The surname BISHUN has its origins in India, tracing back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "vishnu," which refers to the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver and protector of the universe. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been devotees or followers of the Vaishnavite tradition within Hinduism.
During the Mughal era in India, the BISHUN surname was prevalent in the northern regions, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It is believed that some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in local tax records and land registries from that period.
One of the earliest known individuals with the BISHUN surname was Bishun Das, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 17th century. His works, which were written in the Braj Bhasha dialect, have been widely studied and celebrated for their literary merits.
In the 18th century, there are records of a prominent Bishun Singh, who served as a military commander in the army of the Maratha Empire. He played a significant role in various battles against the Mughals and is remembered for his bravery and strategic prowess.
Another notable figure from history was Bishun Prasad, a social reformer and educationist who lived in the late 19th century. He dedicated his life to promoting education and advocating for the rights of the underprivileged sections of society.
During the British colonial era, the BISHUN surname was also found among the Indian diaspora in various parts of the world, including the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia, as many individuals migrated for employment or trade opportunities.
In the 20th century, Bishun Narain Singh, a politician and freedom fighter from Bihar, made significant contributions to India's independence movement. He was actively involved in the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
While the BISHUN surname is predominantly associated with the Hindu community in India, it has also been adopted by individuals from other religious backgrounds, such as Sikhs and Muslims, due to cultural assimilation and intermarriage over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bishun
Among Census respondents with the surname Bishun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 37.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.9%) and Hispanic (16.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bishun 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 Bishun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander37.2% · 42
- Black or African American23.9% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino16.8% · 19
- White12.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.3% · 6
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bishun
Bishun 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+7 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,020 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 2,354 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,020 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 Bishun 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 | #146,201 | #147,221 | -0.7% |
| Count | 113 | 113 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bishun bearers went from 113 to 113 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,020 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bishun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bishun?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bishun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bishun?
Bishun ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Bishun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Bishun.
Has Bishun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bishun went from 113 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bishun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bishun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 37.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.9%) and Hispanic (16.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bishun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 37.2% (42 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bishun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.2%), Black (23.9%), Hispanic (16.8%). 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 Bishun (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 Bishun mean?
A surname believed to derive from the Indian word "vishnu," referring to a Hindu deity. 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 Bishun (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 Bishun?
You can see how common the surname Bishun is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.