2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Berisa
A surname possibly derived from the place name Bérisso in Argentina.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Berisa. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berisa 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Berisa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berisa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berisa
The surname Berisa is believed to have originated in Albania, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Albanian word "berisë," which means "shepherd" or "herdsman." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who worked as shepherds or those involved in the livestock industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Berisa can be found in a document from the town of Berat, located in central Albania, dated around 1570. This document mentions a certain Gjergj Berisa, who was a local landowner and farmer. It is likely that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 17th century, the name Berisa appears in several historical records from the city of Korçë, in southeastern Albania. One notable mention is of a certain Petro Berisa, who was a prominent merchant and trader in the region during the mid-1600s.
As the name spread across Albania, it also evolved into various spelling variations, such as Berisha, Berisaj, and Berishaj. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Berisa was Gjergj Berisa (1570-1638), the aforementioned landowner and farmer from Berat. Another notable figure was Petro Berisa (1625-1692), the merchant and trader from Korçë.
In the 19th century, the name Berisa gained prominence with the birth of Ismail Qemali Berisa (1844-1919), an Albanian politician and statesman who played a crucial role in the country's independence movement. He is widely regarded as the founder and first head of state of modern Albania.
Another significant figure was Sali Berisa (1944-present), an Albanian politician who served as the President of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and the Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013. He was a prominent figure during the country's transition to democracy after the fall of communism.
The name Berisa has also been associated with various place names in Albania, such as the village of Berishë in the district of Kurbin, and the Berishë Mountains, a mountain range in the northern part of the country.
While the surname Berisa is predominantly found in Albania, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to Albanian diaspora communities. However, its origins and rich historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Albanian culture and tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berisa
Among Census respondents with the surname Berisa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Berisa 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 Berisa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 99
- Black or African American9.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berisa
Berisa 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
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+9 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 8,412 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 Berisa 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 | #154,907 | #146,495 | 5.4% |
| Count | 105 | 114 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berisa bearers went from 105 to 114 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 8,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #146,495.
FAQ
Berisa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berisa?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Berisa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Berisa?
Berisa ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Berisa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Berisa.
Has Berisa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berisa went from 105 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 9 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Berisa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berisa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Berisa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berisa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Black (9.6%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Berisa (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 Berisa mean?
A surname possibly derived from the place name Bérisso in Argentina. 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 Berisa (0.04 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 surname Berisa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.