Find out how popular the last name Belsha is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Belsha.

Belsha, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Belsha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belsha in America

Belsha is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belsha surname appeared 172 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Belsha.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belsha to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Belsha

The surname Belsha has its origins in the Middle Eastern region, specifically in the area now known as Lebanon. It emerged during the 12th century, derived from the Arabic phrase "Bel Shaam," which translates to "Land of the Sun." This phrase was often used to refer to the region encompassing modern-day Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Palestine.

The earliest known record of the Belsha name dates back to the late 12th century, where it appeared in a manuscript chronicling the travels of a merchant caravan through the region. The name was likely adopted by a family residing in or near the city of Beirut, which was a prominent trading hub during that period.

Over the centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, including Belscha, Belchah, and Belsher. These variations likely resulted from the transliteration of the name from Arabic into other languages, such as Greek and Latin, as well as regional dialects within the region.

One notable figure in history bearing the Belsha surname was Khalil Belsha, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in Beirut during the 16th century (1520-1590). His works, which celebrated the beauty and culture of the region, were highly regarded and influenced subsequent generations of writers and artists.

Another prominent individual was Fatima Belsha (1670-1745), a skilled weaver and entrepreneur from the city of Sidon. Her intricate tapestries and rugs were sought after by wealthy merchants and nobles throughout the region, and her business acumen helped establish Sidon as a center of textile production.

In the late 18th century, Yusuf Belsha (1755-1832) made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and astronomy. Born in Tripoli, his treatises on celestial mechanics and navigation were widely studied and helped advance the region's scientific knowledge.

During the 19th century, the Belsha name gained recognition through the works of Ibrahim Belsha (1825-1901), a renowned historian and scholar from Beirut. His meticulous records and chronicles of the region's history, culture, and traditions were invaluable resources for future generations of scholars and researchers.

In more recent times, Layla Belsha (1920-2005), a celebrated visual artist from Beirut, gained international acclaim for her vibrant paintings and murals that captured the essence of Lebanese life and traditions. Her works are displayed in museums and galleries around the world, serving as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belsha

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Belsha.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Belsha was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Belsha has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Belsha was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Belsha, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!