2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bulaong
A surname possibly of Filipino origin, meaning unknown or unclear.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Bulaong. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bulaong 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Bulaong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulaong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bulaong
The surname BULAONG is believed to have originated in the Philippines. It is likely derived from the Tagalog word "bulaong," which means "golden" or "made of gold." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked with gold or had a connection to the precious metal.
The earliest known records of the surname BULAONG date back to the 16th century, during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines. It is possible that the name was adopted or adapted by Filipino families during this time, as Spanish influences and naming conventions became more prevalent.
One of the earliest documented instances of the surname BULAONG can be found in the records of the Archdiocese of Manila, where a certain Juan BULAONG was mentioned as a resident of the city in the late 1500s.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname BULAONG was Pedro BULAONG, a Filipino writer and revolutionary who lived from 1835 to 1903. He is known for his poetry and his involvement in the Propaganda Movement, which advocated for Philippine reforms and independence from Spain.
Another notable individual with the surname BULAONG was Marcelo BULAONG, a Filipino painter who lived from 1888 to 1957. He was known for his portraiture and his depictions of rural Filipino life.
In the early 20th century, a man named Jose BULAONG gained recognition as a successful businessman and philanthropist in the Philippines. He established several charitable foundations and was involved in various community projects.
During the same period, a woman named Maria BULAONG made a name for herself as a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in the Philippines.
While the surname BULAONG may not be as widely recognized as some other Filipino surnames, it carries a rich history and cultural significance, rooted in the country's linguistic and colonial past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bulaong
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulaong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bulaong 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 Bulaong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.3% · 96
- White6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bulaong
Bulaong appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,193 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 Bulaong 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 | #147,253 | #149,446 | -1.5% |
| Count | 112 | 110 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bulaong bearers went from 112 to 110 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,193 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #149,446.
FAQ
Bulaong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bulaong?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Bulaong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Bulaong?
Bulaong ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Bulaong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Bulaong.
Has Bulaong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bulaong went from 112 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Bulaong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulaong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bulaong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bulaong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.3%), White (6.4%), 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 Bulaong (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 Bulaong mean?
A surname possibly of Filipino origin, meaning unknown or unclear. 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 Bulaong (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 Bulaong?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.