2000
#3,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.38
Uncommon Last name
Bivens
Derived from the French place name Beauvain or the Norman French term "beu," meaning "fair" or "lovely."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,303 Americans carry the last name Bivens. That puts it at #3,848 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,267 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bivens 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 Bivens with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,267
Census rank
#3,848
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,985 bearers of the surname Bivens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3848th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bivens, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bivens
The surname Bivens is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval era. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "byfan," which means "to tremble" or "to shake." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who had a tendency to tremble or shake, possibly due to old age or illness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bivens can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the 13th century, where it appears as "Bivens." This indicates that the name was already in use during this period. Additionally, there are references to variations of the name, such as "Byvens" and "Bivyns," in various historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Bivens surname is also closely associated with certain place names in England, particularly the village of Bivan in Shropshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from this location, with early bearers taking on the name as a way to identify themselves with their place of origin.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the Bivens surname. One such person was John Bivens, a merchant and landowner who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and owned substantial properties in the region.
Another prominent figure was Sir William Bivens, who served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Charles I in the 17th century. He played a significant role in the political and legal debates of his time and was known for his strong advocacy for civil rights.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Bivens name was Mary Bivens, a renowned poet and writer who gained recognition for her work in the literary circles of London. Her published works include a collection of poems titled "The Garden of Verse" and several essays on social and cultural topics.
During the 19th century, the Bivens surname gained further prominence with the birth of Thomas Bivens, a renowned explorer and naturalist. He embarked on numerous expeditions to remote regions of the world, documenting flora and fauna, and contributing to the field of natural history.
Another individual worth mentioning is Sir Robert Bivens, a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He participated in several conflicts, including the Boer War and World War I, and was decorated for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bivens
Among Census respondents with the surname Bivens, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bivens 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 Bivens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.1% · 5,493
- Black or African American29.4% · 2,646
- Two or more races4.9% · 444
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 313
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bivens
Bivens 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
#3,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,603
+490 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 3.26
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#3,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,985
-618 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 3.01
Rank movement Down 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,582 | 9,113 | 3.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,701 | 9,603 | 3.26 | +490 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #3,848 | 8,985 | 3.01 | -618 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 147 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 Bivens 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 | #3,701 | #3,848 | -4.0% |
| Count | 9,603 | 8,985 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.26 | 3.01 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bivens bearers went from 9,603 to 8,985 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,701 to #3,848.
FAQ
Bivens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bivens?
Name Census estimates that about 10,303 living Americans carry the surname Bivens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,267 residents.
How common is Bivens?
Bivens ranks #3,848 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,985 people with the surname Bivens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,303), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bivens.
Has Bivens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bivens went from 9,603 recorded bearers to 8,985. That is a decrease of 618 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,701 to #3,848.
What does the Census say about the background of Bivens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bivens, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Bivens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.1% (5,493 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bivens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.1%), Black (29.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Bivens (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 Bivens mean?
Derived from the French place name Beauvain or the Norman French term "beu," meaning "fair" or "lovely." 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 Bivens (3.01 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 common is the surname Bivens?
See how many people are called Bivens on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.