2010
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Adebisi
One who came into the world to open the way for others, indicating a firstborn child.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 407 Americans carry the last name Adebisi. That puts it at #61,138 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 842,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adebisi 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Adebisi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
407
1 in 842,148
Census rank
#61,138
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
355
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 355 bearers of the surname Adebisi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61138th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adebisi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adebisi
The surname ADEBISI originates from the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. It has its roots in the Yoruba language, where "Ade" means "crown" or "royalty," and "Bisi" means "to insist" or "to be firm." Together, the name can be interpreted as "the one who insists on or upholds royal traditions."
The earliest recorded instances of the ADEBISI surname date back to the 16th century, during the height of the Oyo Empire in present-day Nigeria. This was a period when many Yoruba families adopted surnames based on their lineage, occupations, or personal traits.
In the 18th century, the name ADEBISI appeared in several historical documents, including records of trade agreements between the Oyo Empire and European merchants. One notable figure from this era was Adebisi Oluwole, a renowned warrior and advisor to the Alafin (ruler) of Oyo, who lived from approximately 1730 to 1805.
As the transatlantic slave trade expanded, many Yoruba people, including those with the ADEBISI surname, were forcibly transported to the Americas. This led to the dispersal of the name across various regions, particularly in the Caribbean and parts of South America.
In the late 19th century, a prominent figure bearing the ADEBISI surname was Adebisi Giwa, a successful trader and landowner in Lagos, Nigeria. He was born around 1850 and played a significant role in the economic development of the region during British colonial rule.
Another noteworthy individual with this surname was Adebisi Oguntoyinbo, a Nigerian poet and playwright who lived from 1920 to 1996. His works explored themes of cultural identity and the challenges faced by post-colonial African societies.
During the 20th century, the ADEBISI surname also gained recognition in the United States, particularly among African American communities. One notable figure was Adebisi Agbaje, a Nigerian-American writer and activist who was born in 1962 and has written extensively on issues of race, gender, and social justice.
Throughout its history, the ADEBISI surname has been linked to various place names and locations within the Yoruba region of Nigeria, such as Iwo, Ibadan, and Ife. However, due to migration and diaspora, the name has spread across various parts of the world, carrying with it the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adebisi
Among Census respondents with the surname Adebisi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Adebisi 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 Adebisi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.3% · 342
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 4
- Two or more races1.1% · 4
- White0.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adebisi
Adebisi appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#61,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 355
+218 bearers (+159.1%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 64,144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #61,138 | 355 | 0.12 | +218 bearers (+159.1%) | Up 64,144 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 Adebisi 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 | #125,282 | #61,138 | 51.2% |
| Count | 137 | 355 | 159.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.12 | 137.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adebisi bearers went from 137 to 355 (+159.1% change). The surname moved up 64,144 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #61,138.
FAQ
Adebisi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adebisi?
Name Census estimates that about 407 living Americans carry the surname Adebisi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 842,148 residents.
How common is Adebisi?
Adebisi ranks #61,138 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 355 people with the surname Adebisi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (407), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Adebisi.
Has Adebisi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adebisi went from 137 recorded bearers to 355. That is an increase of 218 (+159.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #125,282 to #61,138.
What does the Census say about the background of Adebisi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adebisi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adebisi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (342 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adebisi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (96.3%), Hispanic (1.1%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Adebisi (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 Adebisi mean?
One who came into the world to open the way for others, indicating a firstborn child. 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 Adebisi (0.12 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 are called Adebisi?
Want to know how common the surname Adebisi is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.