2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bitel
A surname possibly derived from a Hungarian place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Bitel. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bitel 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Bitel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bitel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bitel
The surname Bitel has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of modern-day Germany, particularly in the areas surrounding the cities of Berlin and Brandenburg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bitel can be found in the Prussian State Archives, where a reference is made to a family bearing this surname in a document dated 1492. The name is thought to be derived from the old German word "bitel," which means "small" or "little," suggesting that it may have been a descriptive surname initially given to someone of diminutive stature or a child.
In the 16th century, the name appears in several historical records from the town of Bitterfeld, located in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This suggests that the Bitel family may have had a presence in this region during that time period.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Bitel was Hans Bitel, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century (c. 1470 - 1535). Records indicate that he was involved in the local guild system and held significant property within the city walls.
In the 17th century, a family bearing the name Bitel is recorded as residing in the town of Görlitz, located in the modern-day state of Saxony, Germany. One of the members of this family, Johann Bitel (1623 - 1695), was a respected clockmaker and goldsmith whose works can still be found in local museums.
During the 18th century, the Bitel surname spread to other parts of Europe, with records showing families of this name residing in regions such as Alsace, France, and the Czech lands. One notable figure from this era was Carl Bitel (1745 - 1814), a German-born composer and musician who spent much of his career in the service of the Austrian imperial court.
In the 19th century, the Bitel name began to appear in official records from the United States, suggesting that individuals bearing this surname had immigrated to America during this period. One such individual was Friedrich Bitel (1820 - 1892), a German immigrant who settled in the state of Wisconsin and became a prominent figure in the local German-American community.
Throughout its history, the surname Bitel has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from merchants and artisans to musicians and composers. While not among the most common surnames, it has left a lasting legacy in various regions of Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bitel
Among Census respondents with the surname Bitel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bitel 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 Bitel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bitel
Bitel 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-16 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,239 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-17 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,459 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 19,239 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 16,459 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 Bitel 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 | #132,206 | #148,665 | -12.4% |
| Count | 128 | 111 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bitel bearers went from 128 to 111 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 16,459 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #148,665.
FAQ
Bitel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bitel?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Bitel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Bitel?
Bitel ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Bitel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Bitel.
Has Bitel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bitel went from 128 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Bitel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bitel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%) 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 Bitel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bitel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%), 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 Bitel (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 Bitel mean?
A surname possibly derived from a Hungarian place name or occupation. 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 Bitel (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 share the surname Bitel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.