2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Busbea
A locational surname originating from a place called Busby in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Busbea. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Busbea 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Busbea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Busbea, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Busbea
The surname Busbea originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Kent. It is derived from the Old English words "bus" meaning "bush" and "bea" meaning "dweller," indicating that the name was given to someone who resided near or in a bushy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Bushbei," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Busbea.
During the 13th century, records show a John de Bussebeye, who was a landowner in the village of Bussebeye, now known as Busbey in Kent. This place name is likely the origin of the surname, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on the location where they lived or held property.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Busbea was Sir William Busbea, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born in 1325 and died in 1388.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Busbea, a merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the city of Canterbury in the 16th century. He was born in 1520 and died in 1589.
During the 17th century, a family of Busbeas settled in the American colonies, with records showing a Robert Busbea arriving in Virginia in 1635. He later became a prominent landowner and founding member of the Busbea family in the United States.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was John Busbea, an English botanist and explorer who traveled to South America and documented many new plant species. He was born in 1735 and died in 1801.
Another individual of note was William Busbea, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1775 and died in 1845, having achieved the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy.
While the surname Busbea is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English and American history, tracing its roots back to medieval times and the county of Kent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Busbea
Among Census respondents with the surname Busbea, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Busbea 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 Busbea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Busbea
Busbea 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,437 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,578 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,437 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,578 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 Busbea 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 | #151,532 | #147,954 | 2.4% |
| Count | 108 | 112 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Busbea bearers went from 108 to 112 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,578 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #147,954.
FAQ
Busbea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Busbea?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Busbea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Busbea?
Busbea ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Busbea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Busbea.
Has Busbea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Busbea went from 108 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Busbea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Busbea, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Busbea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Busbea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (7.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Busbea (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 Busbea mean?
A locational surname originating from a place called Busby in England. 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 Busbea (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 Busbea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.