2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Berdeja
A toponymic Spanish surname derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 244 Americans carry the last name Berdeja. That puts it at #92,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,404,731 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berdeja 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
244
1 in 1,404,731
Census rank
#92,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
213
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 213 bearers of the surname Berdeja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 92574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berdeja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berdeja
The surname Berdeja is of Spanish origin, with its roots tracing back to the regions of Castile and Aragon in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "berde," meaning green, and the Spanish suffix "-eja," indicating a collective or assemblage. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a family or group associated with a particular green area or location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Berdeja appears in the 14th-century manuscript "Libro de la Montería" by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This hunting treatise mentions a place called "La Berdeja" located in the present-day province of Burgos, possibly indicating a connection between the surname and this specific location.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Berdeja was Juan Berdeja, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas. He was born in Seville around 1520 and is known for his role in the exploration and mapping of the Caribbean islands and the Gulf of Mexico.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Miguel Berdeja y Martínez (1767-1828), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1824 to 1827. He played a significant role in the defense of the island against potential British and French invasions during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 19th century, José Berdeja (1830-1905) was a well-known Spanish lawyer, writer, and politician. He served as a member of the Congress of Deputies, representing the province of Ciudad Real, and was known for his literary works, including several novels and plays.
Lastly, a more recent figure with the surname Berdeja was Guillermo Berdeja (1900-1980), a Mexican painter and muralist. He was part of the Mexican Mural Movement and contributed to various public murals, including those at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City.
While the surname Berdeja is not among the most common in Spain or Latin America, it has a rich historical legacy, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields, from exploration and military service to politics, literature, and art.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berdeja
Among Census respondents with the surname Berdeja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Berdeja 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 Berdeja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.2% · 205
- White3.3% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berdeja
Berdeja 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
#91,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+80 bearers (+66.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 38,462 places
2020
#92,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 213
+13 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 593 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #91,981 | 200 | 0.07 | +80 bearers (+66.7%) | Up 38,462 places |
| 2020 | #92,574 | 213 | 0.07 | +13 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 593 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 Berdeja 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 | #91,981 | #92,574 | -0.6% |
| Count | 200 | 213 | 6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berdeja bearers went from 200 to 213 (+6.5% change). The surname moved down 593 positions in the national ranking, going from #91,981 to #92,574.
FAQ
Berdeja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berdeja?
Name Census estimates that about 244 living Americans carry the surname Berdeja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,404,731 residents.
How common is Berdeja?
Berdeja ranks #92,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 213 people with the surname Berdeja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (244), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Berdeja.
Has Berdeja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berdeja went from 200 recorded bearers to 213. That is an increase of 13 (+6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #91,981 to #92,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Berdeja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berdeja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Berdeja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (205 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berdeja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.2%), White (3.3%), Black (0.5%). 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 Berdeja (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 Berdeja mean?
A toponymic Spanish surname derived from a place name. 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 Berdeja (0.07 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 common is the surname Berdeja?
You can see how common the surname Berdeja is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.