2000
#81,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Beiza
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly deriving from a Russian language word referring to a piece of land or territory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 447 Americans carry the last name Beiza. That puts it at #56,551 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 766,788 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beiza 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
447
1 in 766,788
Census rank
#56,551
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
390
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 390 bearers of the surname Beiza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 56551st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beiza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beiza
The surname Beiza has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "beiza," which means "blackbird" or "turdus," referring to the bird species. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or a reference to a particular location or landmark associated with blackbirds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Beiza can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a cartulary from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, located in La Rioja, Spain. This manuscript, dated around the 11th century, contains references to individuals bearing the name Beiza in various legal documents and property records.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Lope Beiza was mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century medieval manuscript that served as a guidebook for pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago. Lope Beiza was a knight who played a significant role in protecting pilgrims along the famous pilgrimage route.
During the 15th century, the surname Beiza appeared in several historical records from the Basque Country. One notable individual was Juan Beiza, born in 1412 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, who served as a local magistrate and was involved in resolving disputes over land ownership and inheritance matters.
In the late 16th century, a family bearing the Beiza surname gained prominence in the town of Oñati, located in the province of Gipuzkoa. María Beiza, born in 1568, was a respected scholar and educator who established one of the first schools for girls in the region, promoting education and literacy among women.
Another notable figure was Pedro Beiza, born in 1621 in the town of Tolosa, Gipuzkoa. He was a renowned architect and master stonemason who played a crucial role in the construction of several churches and buildings throughout the Basque Country, including the Church of San Sebastián in Soreasu.
Over the centuries, the surname Beiza has spread beyond the Basque region, with various spellings and variations emerging in different parts of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. However, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Basque heritage and the significance of the blackbird, which has been a symbolic element in the history and culture of this region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beiza
Among Census respondents with the surname Beiza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Beiza 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 Beiza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.9% · 370
- White4.9% · 19
- Two or more races0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beiza
Beiza 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
#60,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 330
+115 bearers (+53.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 20,740 places
2020
#56,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 390
+60 bearers (+18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 4,409 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #81,700 | 215 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,960 | 330 | 0.11 | +115 bearers (+53.5%) | Up 20,740 places |
| 2020 | #56,551 | 390 | 0.13 | +60 bearers (+18.2%) | Up 4,409 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 Beiza 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 | #60,960 | #56,551 | 7.2% |
| Count | 330 | 390 | 18.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.13 | 18.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beiza bearers went from 330 to 390 (+18.2% change). The surname moved up 4,409 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,960 to #56,551.
FAQ
Beiza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beiza?
Name Census estimates that about 447 living Americans carry the surname Beiza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 766,788 residents.
How common is Beiza?
Beiza ranks #56,551 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 390 people with the surname Beiza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (447), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Beiza.
Has Beiza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beiza went from 330 recorded bearers to 390. That is an increase of 60 (+18.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #60,960 to #56,551.
What does the Census say about the background of Beiza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beiza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Beiza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (370 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beiza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.9%), White (4.9%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Beiza (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 Beiza mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly deriving from a Russian language word referring to a piece of land or territory. 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 Beiza (0.13 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 have the last name Beiza?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Beiza is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.