2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bezanis
A Greek surname possibly denoting a place of origin or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bezanis. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bezanis 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bezanis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bezanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bezanis
The surname BEZANIS has its origins in Northern Italy, specifically in the Lombardy region, during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "Bisannius," which means "from Byzantium" or "from Constantinople." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who had connections to the Byzantine Empire or who had traveled from that region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BEZANIS can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Brescia, where a certain "Robertus Bezanis" is mentioned as a landowner. This indicates that the name had already gained a foothold in the area by that time.
In the 14th century, the name BEZANIS appeared in several historical records from the city of Milan. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Giacomo BEZANIS (1320-1387), a wealthy merchant who played a significant role in the city's trade with the Byzantine Empire, and Francesca BEZANIS (1355-1421), a renowned painter and one of the first women to be admitted to the Accademia di Belle Arti di Milano.
During the Renaissance, the BEZANIS family continued to be prominent in northern Italy. One of the most famous members was Antonio BEZANIS (1472-1533), a skilled architect who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Milan, including the Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore.
In the 17th century, the BEZANIS name spread beyond the borders of Italy. Pietro BEZANIS (1601-1673), a successful merchant and explorer, is credited with establishing trading routes between Venice and the Ottoman Empire, and his travels are documented in various travelogues of the time.
Another notable figure with the BEZANIS surname was Margherita BEZANIS (1742-1812), a renowned opera singer who performed in some of the most prestigious theaters across Europe, including La Scala in Milan and the Royal Opera House in London.
While the BEZANIS name has its roots in Italy, it has since been carried to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and travel. However, its connection to the historical and cultural legacy of northern Italy remains strong, with the surname serving as a reminder of the region's influential ties to the Byzantine Empire and its pivotal role in the development of Renaissance art, architecture, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bezanis
Among Census respondents with the surname Bezanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bezanis 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 Bezanis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bezanis
Bezanis 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,682 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 Bezanis 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 | #147,253 | #150,935 | -2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 108 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bezanis bearers went from 112 to 108 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,682 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bezanis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bezanis?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bezanis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bezanis?
Bezanis ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Bezanis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Bezanis.
Has Bezanis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bezanis went from 112 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bezanis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bezanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Bezanis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bezanis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Bezanis (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 Bezanis mean?
A Greek surname possibly denoting a place of origin or occupation. 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 Bezanis (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 Bezanis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.