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

Beristain, 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 Beristain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beristain in America

Beristain is the 34149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beristain surname appeared 665 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 Beristain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beristain 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 Beristain

The surname Beristain has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. The name is likely derived from the Basque words "berri" meaning new and "istain" meaning clearing or hamlet, suggesting it may have referred to a new settlement or village.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in a document from the town of Vera in the province of Navarre, Spain. It was spelled "Beristain" and referred to a landowner named Juan Beristain.

In the 15th century, a branch of the Beristain family settled in the village of Lesaka, also in Navarre. Records show a Miguel Beristain who was a prominent landowner and local official there in the late 1400s.

The name Beristain can be found in several historical documents and records from the Basque region, including parish registers, tax rolls, and legal documents from the 16th to 18th centuries.

One notable figure with this surname was José Mariano Beristain y Souza (1756-1839), a Mexican priest, scholar, and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Mexico. He was born in Puebla and served as the rector of the University of Mexico.

Another Beristain of note was Juan José Beristain de Souza (1756-1839), who was a Spanish naval officer and explorer. He participated in several expeditions to the Pacific Northwest and was involved in the mapping and exploration of the coastline of present-day Oregon and Washington.

In the 19th century, a branch of the Beristain family emigrated from Spain to Cuba, where they established themselves as successful plantation owners and businessmen. One member of this family was Alejandro Beristain (1825-1891), a prominent Cuban writer and journalist.

The name Beristain can also be found in historical records from other parts of Spain, such as Catalonia and Aragon, suggesting that branches of the family may have migrated to these regions over time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Beristain in the Americas was Juan de Beristain, a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. He was granted land and titles by the Spanish crown for his service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beristain

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

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 Beristain 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 Beristain 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 Beristain was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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