2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bidding
A surname derived from the old english word "bydding," meaning an official summoning or announcement.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Bidding. That puts it at #152,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bidding 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.
Bidding appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#152,628
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Bidding in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bidding, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bidding
The surname Bidding is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, with the earliest recorded instances of the name dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be an occupational surname, derived from the Old English word "byddan," which means "to command" or "to order."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bidding can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which was a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I. The Hundred Rolls list a person named Richard le Byddyng, who resided in Oxfordshire.
The name Bidding is also believed to have been influenced by the Old English word "gebyddan," which means "to offer" or "to proclaim." This connection suggests that the surname may have originally referred to someone who worked as a town crier or herald, responsible for making public announcements or proclamations.
In the 14th century, the name Bidding appeared in various spellings, including Byddyng, Biddynge, and Byddinge, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that era. One notable example is John Byddynge, who was recorded in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1347.
During the 16th century, the Bidding surname gained further prominence, with several individuals bearing the name making their mark in various fields. One such person was William Bidding (c. 1495-1572), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1559 until his death.
Another notable figure with the Bidding surname was John Bidding (c. 1555-1591), an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his involvement in the Catholic missionary efforts in England. His steadfast adherence to his faith and willingness to sacrifice his life for his beliefs earned him a place in the annals of religious history.
In the 17th century, the Bidding surname continued to be found across various regions of England. Records from this period include individuals such as Thomas Bidding (c. 1620-1679), a farmer and landowner in Oxfordshire, and Edward Bidding (c. 1650-1711), a respected merchant and civic leader in the city of Bristol.
As the centuries progressed, the Bidding surname spread beyond England, with descendants of the original bearers of the name migrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. Despite its geographical dispersion, the name has maintained its connection to its English roots and continues to hold significance as a testament to the rich tapestry of surnames derived from occupations and linguistic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bidding
Among Census respondents with the surname Bidding, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bidding bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Bidding surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2%
- Black or African American14.0%
- Unknown or suppressed3.7%
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bidding
Bidding appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-12 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 21,262 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
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Bidding surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20002010
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #131,366 | #152,628 | -16.2% |
| Count | 119 | 107 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Bidding bearers went from 119 to 107 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 21,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,366 to #152,628.
FAQ
Bidding surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bidding?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Bidding. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Bidding?
Bidding ranks #152,628 in the 2010 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 2010 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Bidding. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Bidding.
Has Bidding become more or less common over time?
Between 2000 and 2010, the surname Bidding went from 119 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,366 to #152,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Bidding?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bidding, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%). These figures come from the 2010 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 Bidding in the 2010 Census, accounting for 82.2%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bidding appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (82.2%), Black (14.0%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Bidding appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Bidding mean?
A surname derived from the old english word "bydding," meaning an official summoning or announcement. 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 2010 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 Bidding (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 common is the surname Bidding?
Want to know how many people have the surname Bidding? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.