Explore the Family Name Bien
The meaning of Bien
1. Polish (Bień): from a short form of the personal names Benedykt (see Benedict) or Beniamin (see Benjamin). 2. German: from dialect Bien (Middle High German bin, bīn, bie) ‘bee’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper. Compare Biehn. 3. French: from the personal name Bien, a short form of Bibien, a regional variant of Vivien, from Latin Vivianus (see Vivian). 4. French: nickname from the adverb bien ‘well’. 5. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from a pet form of the personal name Beniamin (see Benjamin). 6. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from Yiddish bin ‘bee’, German Bien(e), or a metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper. 7. Vietnamese (Biên): from the Chinese surname 邊 (see Bian 1 and 9 below). 8. Vietnamese (Biện): from the Chinese surname 卞 (see Bian 2 and 9 below). 9. Chinese: variant of the surnames 卞 and 邊, see Bian 1 and 2. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Anh, Chanh, Cuc, Duc Van, Hau, Hieu, Hoang, Hung Ngoc, Khanh, Thanh, Thanh Thi, Thuy.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bien in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bien has seen slight changes between 2000 to 2010. The rank of the surname dropped from 14,574 in 2000 to 15,060 in 2010, showing a decrease of 3.33%. However, the total count of people with the surname increased by 4.64%, from 1,873 in 2000 to 1,960 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a marginal decline of 4.35% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,574 | #15,060 | -3.33% |
| Count | 1,873 | 1,960 | 4.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.69 | 0.66 | -4.35% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bien
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Bien also shifted during the same period as per data from the Decennial U.S. Census. People identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with this surname increased by 13.89%, and those identifying with two or more races increased by 18.75%. The percentage of Hispanic individuals with the name Bien surged significantly by 68.13%, while the Black community experienced an even higher growth rate at 105.36%. Conversely, the proportion of White individuals with this surname decreased by 5.58%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native group also saw a drastic drop of 47.46%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.25% | 75.77% | -5.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 14.47% | 16.48% | 13.89% |
| Hispanic | 1.82% | 3.06% | 68.13% |
| Black | 1.12% | 2.3% | 105.36% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.09% | 18.75% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.31% | -47.46% |