2000
#13,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,000
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Byard
From the Old English "bēo" and "geard," referring to a bee yard or a place where beehives are kept.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,189 Americans carry the last name Byard. That puts it at #14,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,580 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Byard 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 Byard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,580
Census rank
#14,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,909 bearers of the surname Byard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Byard, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Byard
The surname BYARD is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "byrig" and "geard," which translate to "borough" and "yard" respectively. The combination of these words suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked at a town's defensive enclosure or yard.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BYARD can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Birigard," which aligns with its Old English roots.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name BYARD appeared in various spellings, including Birigard, Byrigard, Byrgard, and Birigarth, reflecting the fluidity of spellings before standardization. These variations were often influenced by the regional dialects and scribes' interpretations.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Walter BYARD was recorded as a landowner in Lincolnshire, England. Additionally, during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377), a knight named Sir John BYARD fought in the Hundred Years' War against France.
As the surname spread across Britain, it became associated with certain place names. For instance, the village of Byard's Leap in Gloucestershire is believed to be named after an individual with the surname BYARD who lived in the area during the medieval period.
Another prominent figure in history was William BYARD, a 16th-century English lawyer and member of the House of Commons, who was born in 1520 and died in 1600.
During the 17th century, the BYARD surname gained recognition with the accomplishments of John BYARD, a renowned English architect born in 1633 and known for designing several churches and buildings in London.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Thomas BYARD, an English poet and playwright who lived from 1701 to 1766 and authored several works, including the play "The Gamester."
As the name spread throughout the British Isles and beyond, it has been carried by many other individuals across various fields, contributing to its rich history and legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Byard
Among Census respondents with the surname Byard, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Byard 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 Byard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.4% · 1,440
- Black or African American16.1% · 308
- Two or more races4.4% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Byard
Byard 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
#14,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,972
-28 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,131 places
2020
#14,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,909
-63 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 92 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,855 | 2,000 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,986 | 1,972 | 0.67 | -28 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 1,131 places |
| 2020 | #14,894 | 1,909 | 0.64 | -63 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 92 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 Byard 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 | #14,986 | #14,894 | 0.6% |
| Count | 1,972 | 1,909 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.64 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Byard bearers went from 1,972 to 1,909 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 92 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,986 to #14,894.
FAQ
Byard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Byard?
Name Census estimates that about 2,189 living Americans carry the surname Byard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,580 residents.
How common is Byard?
Byard ranks #14,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,909 people with the surname Byard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Byard.
Has Byard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Byard went from 1,972 recorded bearers to 1,909. That is a decrease of 63 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,986 to #14,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Byard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Byard, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Byard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.4% (1,440 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Byard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.4%), Black (16.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Byard (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 Byard mean?
From the Old English "bēo" and "geard," referring to a bee yard or a place where beehives are kept. 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 Byard (0.64 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 Americans have the surname Byard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.