2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bitten
From the German "bitten" meaning to request or ask for something.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Bitten. 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 Bitten 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 Bitten with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Bitten 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 Bitten, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bitten
The surname Bitten has its origins in Germany, with records showing the name being used as early as the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "biten," which means "to bite." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a habit of biting or who had a distinctive set of teeth.
One of the earliest known references to the Bitten surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany. In this record, dated around 1150, a person named "Rodolfus Bitten" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various municipal records across German-speaking regions, such as the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Strassburg and the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Frankfurt am Main. These documents provide insights into the lives of individuals bearing the Bitten surname, including their occupations, property ownership, and legal matters.
One notable figure with the Bitten surname was Johannes Bitten, a 15th-century German theologian and philosopher. Born in 1425 in Nuremberg, he studied at the University of Erfurt and later became a professor of philosophy and theology at the University of Ingolstadt.
Another individual of historical significance was Hans Bitten, a 16th-century German goldsmith and engraver. Born in Augsburg around 1520, he was renowned for his intricate and detailed metalwork, which included religious artifacts and decorative pieces for noble patrons.
In the 17th century, the Bitten surname can be found in various genealogical records and parish registers from different parts of Germany. One example is Johann Bitten, born in 1645 in Hannover, who was a prosperous merchant and landowner.
Moving into the 18th century, there are records of a Johann Christoph Bitten, born in 1712 in Leipzig, who was a prominent composer and organist. He is known for his contributions to the development of church music in Germany during that era.
Another notable figure was Karl Friedrich Bitten, born in 1778 in Berlin. He was a well-respected architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the redesign and modernization of several German cities in the early 19th century.
While the Bitten surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. The name can now be found in various countries, although its historical origins trace back to the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bitten
Among Census respondents with the surname Bitten, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bitten 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 Bitten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.8% · 73
- Black or African American26.1% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bitten
Bitten 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,192 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 13,192 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 7,525 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 Bitten 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 | #141,140 | #148,665 | -5.3% |
| Count | 118 | 111 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bitten bearers went from 118 to 111 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 7,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #148,665.
FAQ
Bitten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bitten?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Bitten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Bitten?
Bitten 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 Bitten. 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 Bitten.
Has Bitten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bitten went from 118 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Bitten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bitten, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Bitten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.8% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bitten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.8%), Black (26.1%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Bitten (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 Bitten mean?
From the German "bitten" meaning to request or ask for something. 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 Bitten (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 Bitten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.