2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Byeon
A Korean surname possibly derived from the Chinese word "bian" meaning flat or level.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 227 Americans carry the last name Byeon. That puts it at #98,131 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,509,931 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Byeon 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
227
1 in 1,509,931
Census rank
#98,131
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
198
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 198 bearers of the surname Byeon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98131st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Byeon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Byeon
The surname BYEON has its origins in Korea, tracing back to the 7th century during the Three Kingdoms period. It is derived from the Old Korean word "byeon," which means "to be on the other side" or "to cross over." This name was likely given to families who lived near borders or mountain passes, signifying their role as guardians or guides for those traversing these areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BYEON name can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms period compiled in 1145 by the scholar Kim Busik. This text mentions a BYEON clan that held significant influence in the Silla Kingdom, particularly in the region around present-day Gyeongju.
During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the BYEON family continued to hold prominence, with several members serving as high-ranking officials and military commanders. BYEON Hui (1020-1087) was a renowned scholar-official who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Goryeo civil service examination system.
In the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the BYEON lineage produced numerous notable figures, including BYEON Gye-ryang (1530-1604), a revered Confucian scholar and calligrapher. His works are preserved in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and are regarded as masterpieces of Korean calligraphy.
Another prominent BYEON was BYEON Sun-bae (1737-1801), a celebrated painter and scholar of the late Joseon period. His paintings, which often depicted landscapes and natural scenes, are highly regarded for their delicate brushwork and mastery of composition.
BYEON Hee-jeong (1809-1863) was a respected scholar and educator who played a significant role in the late Joseon era's intellectual and cultural renaissance. He established several private academies and advocated for the study of practical sciences alongside traditional Confucian teachings.
During the Korean Empire (1897-1910), BYEON Yeong-hu (1861-1920) was a prominent political figure and reformist who advocated for modernization and the adoption of Western technologies and systems. He served as the Minister of Education and played a crucial role in establishing Korea's first modern educational institutions.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the BYEON surname throughout Korean history, reflecting the lineage's enduring legacy and contributions to various fields, from scholarship and the arts to politics and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Byeon
Among Census respondents with the surname Byeon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Byeon 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 Byeon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.9% · 188
- White4.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Byeon
Byeon 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
#98,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
+58 bearers (+41.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 24,933 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #98,131 | 198 | 0.07 | +58 bearers (+41.4%) | Up 24,933 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 Byeon 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 | #123,064 | #98,131 | 20.3% |
| Count | 140 | 198 | 41.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 32.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Byeon bearers went from 140 to 198 (+41.4% change). The surname moved up 24,933 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #98,131.
FAQ
Byeon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Byeon?
Name Census estimates that about 227 living Americans carry the surname Byeon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,509,931 residents.
How common is Byeon?
Byeon ranks #98,131 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 198 people with the surname Byeon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Byeon.
Has Byeon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Byeon went from 140 recorded bearers to 198. That is an increase of 58 (+41.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #123,064 to #98,131.
What does the Census say about the background of Byeon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Byeon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Byeon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (188 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Byeon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.9%), White (4.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Byeon (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 Byeon mean?
A Korean surname possibly derived from the Chinese word "bian" meaning flat or level. 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 Byeon (0.07 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 Byeon?
Want to know how many people have the last name Byeon? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.