2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Busard
A French surname derived from the word for buzzard, likely denoting a quick or aggressive person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Busard. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Busard 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Busard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Busard, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Busard
The surname Busard is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "busart," which referred to a type of hawk or buzzard. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or an occupational name for someone who worked with hawks or falcons, which were commonly used for hunting at the time.
In the 12th century, the name Busard was documented in various records and manuscripts, such as the Cartulaire de Fontevraud, which mentions a person named Petrus Busardus. This early reference indicates that the name was already in use during that period and was likely associated with certain regions of France.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Busard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Busard" in the county of Lincolnshire, England. This entry suggests that individuals with this surname may have migrated from France to England during the Norman Conquest.
Over the centuries, the name Busard has been associated with various notable individuals. One such person was Jean Busard (1509-1563), a French clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Avranches. Another was Pierre Busard (1640-1718), a French painter known for his portraits and religious works.
In the 18th century, Jacques Busard (1743-1809) was a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences and published several influential works on orbital calculations.
During the 19th century, Etienne Busard (1818-1899) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Augustin and the Palais Galliera.
One of the more recent historical figures with the surname Busard was Gabriel Busard (1904-1988), a French sculptor known for his monumental works and public art installations in various cities across France.
It is important to note that while these individuals represent different eras and professions, the common thread among them is the French origin of the surname Busard and its potential connections to the world of falconry or other occupations related to birds of prey.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Busard
Among Census respondents with the surname Busard, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Busard 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 Busard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Busard
Busard 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,793 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 21,793 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 1,918 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 Busard 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 | #154,907 | #152,989 | 1.2% |
| Count | 105 | 105 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Busard bearers went from 105 to 105 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 1,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,989.
FAQ
Busard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Busard?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Busard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Busard?
Busard ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Busard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Busard.
Has Busard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Busard went from 105 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Busard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Busard, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Busard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Busard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Busard (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 Busard mean?
A French surname derived from the word for buzzard, likely denoting a quick or aggressive person. 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 Busard (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 common is the surname Busard?
If you just want to know how common the surname Busard is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.