2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bugara
A surname potentially originating from the ethnonym "Bulgar" referring to the Bulgarian ethnic group.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Bugara. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bugara 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Bugara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugara, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bugara
The surname BUGARA has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the region of modern-day Bulgaria. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.
This surname is derived from the Slavic word "bugar," which was used to refer to the Bulgarians, an ethnic group that inhabited the area. The name likely originated as a descriptive term, identifying individuals who were of Bulgarian descent or had some connection to the Bulgarian people.
Historical records suggest that variations of the name, such as Bugarov or Bugarsky, were present in medieval documents from the region. However, the earliest known mention of the exact spelling "BUGARA" dates back to the 15th century, found in a registry of landowners in the town of Plovdiv, located in what is now central Bulgaria.
Interestingly, the name BUGARA is also associated with a few notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest documented bearers of this surname was Ivan BUGARA, a merchant who lived in the city of Veliko Tarnovo during the 14th century. Another prominent figure was Petko BUGARA, a military commander who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, a family by the name of BUGARA owned a vineyard in the village of Brestovitsa, which was renowned for producing high-quality wines. This connection to winemaking suggests that the name may have been associated with a particular occupation or trade in some regions.
During the 18th century, a scholar named Stefan BUGARA made significant contributions to the study of Bulgarian folklore and literature. He is credited with preserving many traditional stories and songs that might have otherwise been lost.
Another notable individual was Mariya BUGARA, a renowned artist born in 1876 in the town of Kazanlak. Her paintings, which often depicted scenes from rural Bulgarian life, gained widespread recognition and are now housed in various museums across the country.
It is important to note that while the surname BUGARA has its roots in Bulgaria, it has likely spread to other regions over time due to migration and intermarriage. However, the historical records and examples provided indicate a strong connection between this name and the Bulgarian people, their culture, and their heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bugara
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugara, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bugara 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 Bugara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 106
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bugara
Bugara 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,861 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+11 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 8,861 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 9,499 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 Bugara 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 | #153,769 | #144,270 | 6.2% |
| Count | 106 | 117 | 10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bugara bearers went from 106 to 117 (+10.4% change). The surname moved up 9,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #144,270.
FAQ
Bugara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bugara?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Bugara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Bugara?
Bugara ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Bugara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Bugara.
Has Bugara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bugara went from 106 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 11 (+10.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bugara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugara, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Bugara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bugara 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 (4.3%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Bugara (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 Bugara mean?
A surname potentially originating from the ethnonym "Bulgar" referring to the Bulgarian ethnic group. 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 Bugara (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 have the surname Bugara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.