2000
#12,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Bier
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to a brewer or beer maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,499 Americans carry the last name Bier. That puts it at #13,372 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,157 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bier 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
2.5K
1 in 137,157
Census rank
#13,372
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,179 bearers of the surname Bier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13372nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bier, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bier
The surname Bier is of German origin, derived from the German word "bier," which means "beer." This name is believed to have originated in the 13th century and was likely an occupational name for someone involved in the brewing or selling of beer.
In medieval Germany, the brewing industry was a significant economic activity, and many individuals were involved in various aspects of beer production and trade. The surname Bier may have been initially given to those who worked as brewers, tavern keepers, or beer merchants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bier can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a person named "Henricus Bier" in the year 1285.
Another notable early reference to the name Bier is found in the Stadtbuch von Memmingen, a historical record from the town of Memmingen in Bavaria, Germany. This document, dating from the 14th century, lists a "Johannes Bier" as a resident of the town.
In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent family named Bier residing in the city of Nuremberg, which was a center of trade and commerce during that time. One member of this family, Hans Bier (1457-1523), was a respected merchant and philanthropist who contributed to the development of the city.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the surname Bier was Johann Bier (1543-1605), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. His musical works, including motets and sacred compositions, were highly regarded in his time.
Another individual of historical significance with the surname Bier was Karl Bier (1857-1917), a German surgeon and medical pioneer. He is credited with developing the technique of spinal anesthesia, which revolutionized pain management in surgical procedures.
Throughout history, the surname Bier has been associated with various occupations and professions, from brewers and merchants to artists, musicians, and medical professionals. While the name originated as an occupational surname, it has since become a widespread family name across Germany and other parts of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bier
Among Census respondents with the surname Bier, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bier 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 Bier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 1,941
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 131
- Two or more races2.5% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 28
- Black or African American0.9% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bier
Bier 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
#13,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,320
+67 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 572 places
2020
#13,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,179
-141 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,605 | 2,253 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,177 | 2,320 | 0.79 | +67 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 572 places |
| 2020 | #13,372 | 2,179 | 0.73 | -141 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 195 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 Bier 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 | #13,177 | #13,372 | -1.5% |
| Count | 2,320 | 2,179 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.73 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bier bearers went from 2,320 to 2,179 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,177 to #13,372.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bier
FAQ
Bier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,499 living Americans carry the surname Bier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,157 residents.
How common is Bier?
Bier ranks #13,372 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,179 people with the surname Bier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,499), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Bier.
Has Bier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bier went from 2,320 recorded bearers to 2,179. That is a decrease of 141 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,177 to #13,372.
What does the Census say about the background of Bier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bier, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Bier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (1,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Bier (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 Bier mean?
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to a brewer or beer maker. 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 Bier (0.73 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 Bier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.