2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bynam
A locational surname referring to someone from Bynum, a place in Northamptonshire or Berkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bynam. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bynam 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bynam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bynam, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bynam
The surname Bynam has its origins in England, and it is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place called Bynam or Binham, which is located in the county of Norfolk. The name may have evolved from the Old English words "byne" and "ham," which together mean "homestead on the hill."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bynam can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, dated around 1230. These rolls were financial records kept by the English government and often contained names of landowners and taxpayers. The entry mentions a person named Roger de Bynam, who was likely from the village of Bynam or Binham.
The Bynam surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Norfolk, dating back to the late 13th century. These rolls were tax records that listed individuals who were required to contribute to the Crown. One notable entry from 1327 mentions a John de Bynam, who was likely a landowner or a person of some means in the area.
In the 14th century, there are records of a Thomas Bynam, who was born around 1320 in the village of Binham, Norfolk. He was a farmer and landowner, and his name is mentioned in several local documents from that time period.
Another person of historical significance was Sir William Bynam, who lived in the 15th century. He was a knight and a prominent figure in Norfolk, serving as a member of the county's gentry. Sir William Bynam was known for his involvement in local affairs and his support for the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses.
In the 16th century, there was a notable figure named Robert Bynam, who was born in 1542 in the village of Binham, Norfolk. He was a scholar and a Church of England clergyman, serving as the rector of several parishes in the area. Robert Bynam was also known for his writings on religious subjects and his involvement in local education.
During the 17th century, the Bynam surname continued to be present in Norfolk and other parts of England. One individual of note was John Bynam, who was born in 1650 in the town of Wymondham, Norfolk. He was a successful merchant and a member of the local governing body, serving as a town councilor and a justice of the peace.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bynam
Among Census respondents with the surname Bynam, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bynam 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 Bynam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American79.6% · 90
- White15.9% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bynam
Bynam 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-14 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,395 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+11 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 24,395 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 11,211 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 Bynam 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 | #158,432 | #147,221 | 7.1% |
| Count | 102 | 113 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bynam bearers went from 102 to 113 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 11,211 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bynam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bynam?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bynam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bynam?
Bynam ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Bynam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Bynam.
Has Bynam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bynam went from 102 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 11 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bynam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bynam, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bynam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bynam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (79.6%), White (15.9%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Bynam (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 Bynam mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Bynum, a place in Northamptonshire or Berkshire, 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 Bynam (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 last name Bynam?
Want to know how many people are called Bynam? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.