2000
#29,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 745
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Beisner
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Beisner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 919 Americans carry the last name Beisner. That puts it at #31,051 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 372,964 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beisner 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
919
1 in 372,964
Census rank
#31,051
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
801
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 801 bearers of the surname Beisner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31051st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beisner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beisner
The surname Beisner is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Beissen," which means "to bite." This could suggest that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone with a tendency to bite or with prominent teeth.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Beisner surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 16th century. These records mention a Johann Beisner, a merchant and landowner, who lived in the city during the 1500s.
The Beisner name also appears in various historical documents from the German states of Bavaria and Saxony, indicating that the name was present in these regions during the 17th and 18th centuries. For example, a Johann Michael Beisner was born in Leipzig, Saxony, in 1678 and became a respected mathematician and astronomer.
In the 19th century, the Beisner surname spread beyond Germany as some individuals bearing the name emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was Carl Friedrich Beisner, a German-born painter who lived from 1805 to 1891 and was known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
Another significant individual with the Beisner surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Beisner, a German-American engineer and inventor born in 1837. He is credited with developing several innovations in the field of printing machinery and held numerous patents for his inventions.
In the United States, the Beisner name can be traced back to German immigrants who arrived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Beisner, who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1770s and worked as a farmer.
Over time, the Beisner surname has also been associated with various place names and locations, particularly in Germany. For example, the village of Beisner in the state of Hesse is thought to have derived its name from the surname, indicating that individuals bearing the Beisner name may have resided or held land in this area.
While the Beisner surname is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history and can be found across various regions, particularly in areas with strong German cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beisner
Among Census respondents with the surname Beisner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Beisner 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 Beisner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 741
- Two or more races3.4% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beisner
Beisner 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
#31,211
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 743
-2 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 1,427 places
2020
#31,051
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 801
+58 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 160 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,784 | 745 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,211 | 743 | 0.25 | -2 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 1,427 places |
| 2020 | #31,051 | 801 | 0.27 | +58 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 160 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 Beisner 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 | #31,211 | #31,051 | 0.5% |
| Count | 743 | 801 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.27 | 7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beisner bearers went from 743 to 801 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 160 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,211 to #31,051.
FAQ
Beisner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beisner?
Name Census estimates that about 919 living Americans carry the surname Beisner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 372,964 residents.
How common is Beisner?
Beisner ranks #31,051 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 801 people with the surname Beisner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (919), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Beisner.
Has Beisner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beisner went from 743 recorded bearers to 801. That is an increase of 58 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #31,211 to #31,051.
What does the Census say about the background of Beisner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beisner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Beisner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (741 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beisner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Beisner (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 Beisner mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Beisner. 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 Beisner (0.27 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 Beisner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.