2000
#23,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 994
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Bynes
An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "byne", meaning "barrel-maker".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,266 Americans carry the last name Bynes. That puts it at #23,700 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 270,738 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bynes 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
1.3K
1 in 270,738
Census rank
#23,700
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,104 bearers of the surname Bynes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23700th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bynes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bynes
The surname Bynes is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from a place name or occupational term. One possible source is the Old English word "byn," which translates to "bin" or "container," potentially suggesting an association with a profession related to storage or transportation.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest surviving public record of England, there are entries for places that may have influenced the formation of the surname, such as "Bynham" and "Bynbrook." These place names could have been adopted as surnames by individuals residing in or associated with those locations.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bynes date back to the 13th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, there is a mention of a "William Bynne," while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 include a reference to a "John de Bynne."
Variations in spelling were common in medieval times due to inconsistent record-keeping practices. The surname Bynes may have been spelled differently in earlier documents, such as Bynne, Bynnes, or Bynns.
Notable individuals with the surname Bynes throughout history include:
1. Sir John Bynes (c. 1560-1626), an English military officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire.
2. James Bynes (1733-1793), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of navigation and surveying.
3. Elizabeth Bynes (1770-1849), a British author and poet known for her works on education and children's literature.
4. Charles Bynes (1819-1892), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bynes Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia.
5. William Bynes (1885-1945), a Canadian military officer who distinguished himself during World War I and received the Victoria Cross for his bravery.
While the surname Bynes may have evolved from various origins, its enduring presence over centuries reflects its deep-rooted history within the English-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bynes
Among Census respondents with the surname Bynes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bynes 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 Bynes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.5% · 867
- White11.7% · 129
- Two or more races5.1% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bynes
Bynes 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
#24,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,010
+16 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 940 places
2020
#23,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,104
+94 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 1,002 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,762 | 994 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,702 | 1,010 | 0.34 | +16 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 940 places |
| 2020 | #23,700 | 1,104 | 0.37 | +94 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 1,002 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 Bynes 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 | #24,702 | #23,700 | 4.1% |
| Count | 1,010 | 1,104 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.37 | 8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bynes bearers went from 1,010 to 1,104 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 1,002 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,702 to #23,700.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bynes
FAQ
Bynes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bynes?
Name Census estimates that about 1,266 living Americans carry the surname Bynes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 270,738 residents.
How common is Bynes?
Bynes ranks #23,700 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 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 1,104 people with the surname Bynes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,266), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 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 Bynes.
Has Bynes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bynes went from 1,010 recorded bearers to 1,104. That is an increase of 94 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #24,702 to #23,700.
What does the Census say about the background of Bynes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bynes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Bynes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (867 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bynes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (78.5%), White (11.7%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Bynes (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 Bynes mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "byne", meaning "barrel-maker". 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 Bynes (0.37 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 Bynes?
See how common the surname Bynes is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.