2000
#7,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,978
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Beller
A German and Jewish occupational surname derived from the German word "bellen," meaning "to bark," referring to a town crier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,660 Americans carry the last name Beller. That puts it at #9,706 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,649 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beller 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
3.7K
1 in 93,649
Census rank
#9,706
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,192 bearers of the surname Beller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9706th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beller, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beller
The surname Beller has its origins in Germany, where it emerged in the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "bellen," which means "to bark" or "to bay." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupational name to someone who worked with dogs or had some connection to hunting or barking animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Beller can be found in the archives of the city of Nuremberg, where a person named Hans Beller was mentioned in a document dated 1385. Another early reference is from the town of Heidelberg, where a certain Konrad Beller was registered in the tax records of 1412.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg. For example, a man named Michael Beller was born in Bamberg, Bavaria, in 1532, and his descendants can be traced through church records and local archives.
One notable individual with the surname Beller was Johann Beller, a Protestant theologian and reformer who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, in 1534 and played a significant role in the spread of the Reformation in the region.
In the 17th century, the surname Beller began to appear in other parts of Europe as well. For instance, a Dutch painter named Joachim Beller was active in the Netherlands around 1650. His works can still be found in several museums and private collections across Europe.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Beller, a German writer and poet who lived from 1701 to 1768. He was born in Leipzig and is best known for his satirical works and contributions to the Enlightenment movement in Germany.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Beller continued to be found in various regions of Germany and other parts of Europe, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including academia, arts, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beller
Among Census respondents with the surname Beller, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Beller 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 Beller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 2,864
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 117
- Two or more races3.4% · 107
- Black or African American1.7% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beller
Beller 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
#11,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,847
-1,131 bearers (-28.4%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 3,419 places
2020
#9,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,192
+345 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 1,426 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,713 | 3,978 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,132 | 2,847 | 0.97 | -1,131 bearers (-28.4%) | Down 3,419 places |
| 2020 | #9,706 | 3,192 | 1.07 | +345 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 1,426 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 Beller 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 | #11,132 | #9,706 | 12.8% |
| Count | 2,847 | 3,192 | 12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 1.07 | 10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beller bearers went from 2,847 to 3,192 (+12.1% change). The surname moved up 1,426 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,132 to #9,706.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Beller
FAQ
Beller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beller?
Name Census estimates that about 3,660 living Americans carry the surname Beller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,649 residents.
How common is Beller?
Beller ranks #9,706 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,192 people with the surname Beller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,660), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Beller.
Has Beller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beller went from 2,847 recorded bearers to 3,192. That is an increase of 345 (+12.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,132 to #9,706.
What does the Census say about the background of Beller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beller, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Beller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (2,864 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Beller (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 Beller mean?
A German and Jewish occupational surname derived from the German word "bellen," meaning "to bark," referring to a town crier. 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 Beller (1.07 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 many Americans have the surname Beller?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.