2000
#53,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Berrelleza
An uncommon Spanish surname referring to beauty or attractiveness.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 713 Americans carry the last name Berrelleza. That puts it at #38,337 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 480,721 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berrelleza 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
713
1 in 480,721
Census rank
#38,337
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
622
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 622 bearers of the surname Berrelleza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38337th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berrelleza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berrelleza
The surname Berrelleza is believed to have originated in Spain, with its roots traceable back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from a combination of the Spanish words "berro" (meaning watercress) and "belleza" (meaning beauty), suggesting a connection to a picturesque location abundant with watercress or a reference to someone's physical attractiveness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Berrelleza can be found in the chronicles of the Reconquista, the protracted conflict between Christian and Moorish forces in the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th to the 15th centuries. A Rodrigo Berrelleza is mentioned as a valiant knight who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the decisive Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.
As the Reconquista progressed and the Moors were gradually pushed southward, the Berrelleza family likely settled in the region of Andalusia, where the name appears in various municipal records and land registries from the 14th and 15th centuries. Variations in spelling, such as Berreleza and Berrelesa, were common during this period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Berrelleza name was Alonso Berrelleza, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer Mexico. Berrelleza is believed to have played a crucial role in mapping the Gulf of Mexico and establishing early settlements in what is now Central America.
Another prominent individual was Juana Berrelleza, a renowned poet and playwright who lived in Seville during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Her works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, were widely celebrated and influenced the literary circles of her time.
In the 18th century, a member of the Berrelleza family, Pedro Berrelleza, gained recognition as a skilled architect and master builder. He was responsible for the design and construction of several historic churches and government buildings in the city of Granada, some of which still stand today as examples of Spanish Baroque architecture.
As the Berrelleza surname spread across Spain and its colonies in the Americas, it became associated with various notable individuals throughout history, including artists, scientists, and political figures. However, the name's origins and early history remain rooted in the medieval period of the Iberian Peninsula, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of Spain and its diverse linguistic influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berrelleza
Among Census respondents with the surname Berrelleza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Berrelleza 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 Berrelleza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.7% · 608
- White1.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berrelleza
Berrelleza 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
#36,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 619
+254 bearers (+69.6%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 16,987 places
2020
#38,337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 622
+3 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 2,133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #53,191 | 365 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,204 | 619 | 0.21 | +254 bearers (+69.6%) | Up 16,987 places |
| 2020 | #38,337 | 622 | 0.21 | +3 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 2,133 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 Berrelleza 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 | #36,204 | #38,337 | -5.9% |
| Count | 619 | 622 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.21 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berrelleza bearers went from 619 to 622 (+0.5% change). The surname moved down 2,133 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,204 to #38,337.
FAQ
Berrelleza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berrelleza?
Name Census estimates that about 713 living Americans carry the surname Berrelleza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 480,721 residents.
How common is Berrelleza?
Berrelleza ranks #38,337 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 622 people with the surname Berrelleza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (713), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Berrelleza.
Has Berrelleza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berrelleza went from 619 recorded bearers to 622. That is an increase of 3 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,204 to #38,337.
What does the Census say about the background of Berrelleza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berrelleza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Berrelleza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.7% (608 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berrelleza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (97.7%), White (1.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Berrelleza (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 Berrelleza mean?
An uncommon Spanish surname referring to beauty or attractiveness. 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 Berrelleza (0.21 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 Berrelleza?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.