2000
#3,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,085
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.37
Rare Last name
Biddle
An English occupational surname for a beadle, a minor parish official who kept order in church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,839 Americans carry the last name Biddle. That puts it at #4,016 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,836 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biddle 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 Biddle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.8K
1 in 34,836
Census rank
#4,016
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,580 bearers of the surname Biddle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4016th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biddle, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biddle
The surname Biddle originated in England, specifically in the county of Shropshire, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bydel," which means "summoner" or "messenger." This occupation was related to the role of a beadle, who was responsible for delivering summonses or announcements on behalf of the church or local authorities.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Biddle can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England conducted in 1086. The entry "Byddel" is recorded in this historical document, indicating the presence of the name during the Norman conquest.
In the 13th century, various spellings of the surname can be found in historical records, such as "Bidel," "Biddel," and "Biddill." These variations reflect the phonetic nature of the name's pronunciation and the influence of regional dialects.
The surname Biddle has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded figures was John Biddle (1615-1662), an English Unitarian scholar and theologian who faced persecution for his religious beliefs during the English Civil War.
Another prominent figure was Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844), an American financier and the third president of the Second Bank of the United States. He played a significant role in shaping the country's early financial system and was involved in a highly publicized conflict with President Andrew Jackson over the bank's status.
In the literary world, Constance Biddle (1861-1933), an American writer and philanthropist, was known for her works on gardening and her involvement in promoting cultural activities in Philadelphia.
The Biddle family also had a presence in the military, with individuals like James Biddle (1783-1848), a naval officer who served in the War of 1812 and the Barbary Wars, and John Biddle (1819-1900), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
Another notable figure was Dorothy Biddle (1890-1977), a Canadian activist and writer who advocated for women's rights and was a prominent member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
Throughout history, the surname Biddle has been associated with various locations, including Biddle's Rift in Shropshire, England, and Biddle's Corner, a historic crossroads in Pennsylvania, United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biddle
Among Census respondents with the surname Biddle, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Biddle 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 Biddle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 7,083
- Black or African American8.9% · 760
- Two or more races4.6% · 391
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 231
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biddle
Biddle 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
#3,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,219
+134 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 3.13
Rank movement Down 246 places
2020
#4,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,580
-639 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,594 | 9,085 | 3.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,840 | 9,219 | 3.13 | +134 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 246 places |
| 2020 | #4,016 | 8,580 | 2.87 | -639 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 176 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 Biddle 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 | #3,840 | #4,016 | -4.6% |
| Count | 9,219 | 8,580 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.13 | 2.87 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biddle bearers went from 9,219 to 8,580 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,840 to #4,016.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Biddle
FAQ
Biddle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biddle?
Name Census estimates that about 9,839 living Americans carry the surname Biddle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,836 residents.
How common is Biddle?
Biddle ranks #4,016 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,580 people with the surname Biddle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,839), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Biddle.
Has Biddle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biddle went from 9,219 recorded bearers to 8,580. That is a decrease of 639 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,840 to #4,016.
What does the Census say about the background of Biddle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biddle, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Biddle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (7,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biddle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Black (8.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Biddle (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 Biddle mean?
An English occupational surname for a beadle, a minor parish official who kept order in church. 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 Biddle (2.87 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 share the surname Biddle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.