2000
#42,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 482
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Bieda
A Polish surname meaning "poverty" or "misery".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 518 Americans carry the last name Bieda. That puts it at #50,074 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 661,688 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bieda 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
518
1 in 661,688
Census rank
#50,074
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
452
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 452 bearers of the surname Bieda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50074th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bieda, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bieda
The surname Bieda has its origins in Poland, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Polish word "bieda," which means "poverty" or "misery." This suggests that the name may have been initially applied as a descriptive nickname for someone who was poor or lived in difficult circumstances.
In the 15th century, records show that the name Bieda was present in various regions of Poland, particularly in the areas around Krakow and Poznan. It is also believed that the name may have been influenced by the similar-sounding German surname "Biedermann," which has a similar meaning of "poor man."
One of the earliest known references to the name Bieda can be found in a document from 1487, which mentions a certain Jan Bieda, a landowner in the village of Wieliczka near Krakow. Another notable early bearer of the name was Maciej Bieda, a Polish nobleman who lived in the 16th century and was known for his involvement in local politics and administration.
In the 17th century, the name Bieda gained prominence with the birth of Andrzej Bieda (1620-1687), a renowned Polish painter and sculptor who is considered one of the leading artists of the Baroque era in Poland. His works can be found in various churches and museums across the country.
Another significant figure with the surname Bieda was Józef Bieda (1772-1856), a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected military strategist and writer on military tactics.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Bieda was carried by Władysław Bieda (1835-1911), a Polish politician and journalist who played a significant role in the struggle for Polish independence from Russia. He was a member of the Polish National Government during the January Uprising of 1863-1864.
In more recent times, the surname Bieda has been borne by Karol Bieda (1907-1998), a Polish-American artist and sculptor known for his works in bronze and stone, which can be found in many public spaces across the United States.
While the origin of the surname Bieda may have been humble, it has been carried by notable individuals throughout history, spanning various fields such as art, politics, and military service, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bieda
Among Census respondents with the surname Bieda, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bieda 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 Bieda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 421
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 12
- Two or more races2.7% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bieda
Bieda 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
#43,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 490
+8 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 1,606 places
2020
#50,074
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 452
-38 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 6,105 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,363 | 482 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #43,969 | 490 | 0.17 | +8 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,606 places |
| 2020 | #50,074 | 452 | 0.15 | -38 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 6,105 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 Bieda 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 | #43,969 | #50,074 | -13.9% |
| Count | 490 | 452 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.15 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bieda bearers went from 490 to 452 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 6,105 positions in the national ranking, going from #43,969 to #50,074.
FAQ
Bieda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bieda?
Name Census estimates that about 518 living Americans carry the surname Bieda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 661,688 residents.
How common is Bieda?
Bieda ranks #50,074 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 452 people with the surname Bieda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (518), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Bieda.
Has Bieda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bieda went from 490 recorded bearers to 452. That is a decrease of 38 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #43,969 to #50,074.
What does the Census say about the background of Bieda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bieda, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bieda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (421 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bieda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bieda (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 Bieda mean?
A Polish surname meaning "poverty" or "misery". 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 Bieda (0.15 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 Bieda?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Bieda on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.