Explore the Family Name Bir
The meaning of Bir
Indian (Punjab): Khatri and Sikh name meaning ‘brother’ or ‘hero’, from Sanskrit vīra ‘brave, heroic’. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Ajay, Rajindar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bir in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Bir" saw a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 39,946 in popularity, with a count of 517 individuals bearing the name. By 2010, though the rank had only marginally improved to 39,419, the count of individuals with the surname had risen by roughly 8% to 558. The proportion per 100k people remained steady at 0.19.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #39,946 | #39,419 | 1.32% |
| Count | 517 | 558 | 7.93% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bir
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Bir" also changed somewhat between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. While the majority of individuals identified as White, this number decreased by around 9% over the decade, from 85.11% to 77.24%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 12.19% to 16.31%, a substantial rise of nearly 34%. The proportions identifying as two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native also varied, with Hispanics and Blacks appearing for the first time in 2010, though the data for other groups was suppressed in some instances.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.11% | 77.24% | -9.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 12.19% | 16.31% | 33.8% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.51% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.93% | 1.79% | -7.25% |
| Black | 0% | 1.25% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.9% | 0% |