2000
#33,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 654
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Birchard
A bird-catcher or hawker, from the Middle English "bird" and French "chasser".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 888 Americans carry the last name Birchard. That puts it at #31,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 385,985 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Birchard 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
888
1 in 385,985
Census rank
#31,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
774
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 774 bearers of the surname Birchard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Birchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Birchard
The surname Birchard is believed to have originated in England, likely in the late medieval period or earlier. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "byrig" (meaning a fortified town or borough) and "hierde" (a herdsman or keeper of livestock). The name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or near a fortified settlement and worked as a herdsman or caretaker of animals within the surrounding lands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Birchard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including "Biricheard" and "Bircheard," suggesting its long-standing presence in the region.
During the 13th century, the name Birchard was associated with several individuals who held positions of significance. For instance, Robert Birchard (c. 1210-1279) was a prominent landowner and nobleman in Oxfordshire. Another notable figure was William Birchard (c. 1245-1312), who served as a trusted advisor to King Edward I and played a role in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, reflecting regional dialects and scribal interpretations. Some examples of these variations include Burchard, Burcharde, and Birchart. Certain place names, such as Birchard's Farm in Gloucestershire, may have also contributed to the development of the surname.
In the 16th century, the Birchard family gained prominence in the county of Somerset, where they established themselves as landed gentry. One notable member was Sir John Birchard (1538-1612), who served as a Member of Parliament and held influential positions within the local community.
Another prominent figure bearing the Birchard surname was Thomas Birchard (1705-1779), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War and rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy.
As the centuries passed, the Birchard name continued to be represented across various fields, including politics, military, and academia. Robert Birchard (1762-1835) was a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. Meanwhile, William Birchard (1810-1892) was a respected lawyer and judge in the United States, serving as a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Birchard
Among Census respondents with the surname Birchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Birchard 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 Birchard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 723
- Two or more races3.7% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Birchard
Birchard 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
#40,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 542
-112 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 7,351 places
2020
#31,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 774
+232 bearers (+42.8%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 8,410 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,020 | 654 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,371 | 542 | 0.18 | -112 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 7,351 places |
| 2020 | #31,961 | 774 | 0.26 | +232 bearers (+42.8%) | Up 8,410 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 Birchard 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 | #40,371 | #31,961 | 20.8% |
| Count | 542 | 774 | 42.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.26 | 43.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Birchard bearers went from 542 to 774 (+42.8% change). The surname moved up 8,410 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,371 to #31,961.
FAQ
Birchard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Birchard?
Name Census estimates that about 888 living Americans carry the surname Birchard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 385,985 residents.
How common is Birchard?
Birchard ranks #31,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 774 people with the surname Birchard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (888), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Birchard.
Has Birchard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Birchard went from 542 recorded bearers to 774. That is an increase of 232 (+42.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,371 to #31,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Birchard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Birchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Birchard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Birchard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Birchard (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 Birchard mean?
A bird-catcher or hawker, from the Middle English "bird" and French "chasser". 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 Birchard (0.26 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 Birchard?
Want to know how many people are called Birchard? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.