2000
#10,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,856
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Banas
A Polish habitational surname derived from places named Banasz or Banaś, likely referring to a place of shepherds or herders.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,901 Americans carry the last name Banas. That puts it at #11,833 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,150 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banas 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 Banas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,150
Census rank
#11,833
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,530 bearers of the surname Banas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11833rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banas, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banas
The surname Banas has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "ban," which means "ruler" or "lord." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with local nobility or those in positions of authority.
In the early days, the name Banas was predominantly found in the regions around Krakow and Lublin in south-eastern Poland. Historical records from the 17th century mention the name being used by families in these areas, indicating their presence and establishment during that time period.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Banas can be found in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of records from the Polish Crown Chancery, dating back to the late 16th century. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition and was in use among the Polish population at that time.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Banas include Jan Banas, a Polish military commander who fought against the Swedish invasion of Poland in the 17th century. Another prominent figure was Józef Banas, a renowned painter and sculptor from the 19th century, known for his works depicting Polish folklore and rural life.
In the 18th century, the name Banas can be found in records from the town of Banasiówka, located in the Lublin region. This place name, derived from the surname, further highlights the presence and influence of the Banas family in that area during that era.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Banas was Stanisław Banas, a Polish linguist and lexicographer who lived in the early 20th century. His contributions to the study of the Polish language and the development of dictionaries were significant.
As the Banas name spread throughout Poland over the centuries, it also found its way into other regions, including the neighboring countries of Ukraine and Belarus, where variations of the spelling, such as Banach or Banasch, can be found.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banas
Among Census respondents with the surname Banas, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Banas 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 Banas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 2,184
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.8% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 71
- Black or African American2.0% · 51
- Two or more races2.0% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banas
Banas 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
#10,681
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,993
+137 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 347 places
2020
#11,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,530
-463 bearers (-15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 1,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,334 | 2,856 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,681 | 2,993 | 1.01 | +137 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 347 places |
| 2020 | #11,833 | 2,530 | 0.85 | -463 bearers (-15.5%) | Down 1,152 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 Banas 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 | #10,681 | #11,833 | -10.8% |
| Count | 2,993 | 2,530 | -15.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.85 | -16.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banas bearers went from 2,993 to 2,530 (-15.5% change). The surname moved down 1,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,681 to #11,833.
FAQ
Banas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banas?
Name Census estimates that about 2,901 living Americans carry the surname Banas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,150 residents.
How common is Banas?
Banas ranks #11,833 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,530 people with the surname Banas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,901), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Banas.
Has Banas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banas went from 2,993 recorded bearers to 2,530. That is a decrease of 463 (-15.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,681 to #11,833.
What does the Census say about the background of Banas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banas, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Banas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (2,184 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Banas (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 Banas mean?
A Polish habitational surname derived from places named Banasz or Banaś, likely referring to a place of shepherds or herders. 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 Banas (0.85 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 Banas?
You can see how common the surname Banas is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.