2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bierria
An Occupational surname derived from a brewer or tavern keeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Bierria. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bierria 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Bierria in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bierria, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bierria
The surname Bierria originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "bierri," meaning "new" or "young," potentially referring to a settlement or farm established in a newly cultivated area.
In the 12th century, the name Bierria appeared in several historical records from the region, including the cartularies of local monasteries. One notable reference is found in the Libro de la Regla de Navarra, a legal code from the Kingdom of Navarre, which mentions a certain Pedro de Bierria among the local landowners.
The earliest recorded bearer of the name Bierria was Juan de Bierria, a nobleman from the town of Elizondo in the Basque province of Navarre, who lived in the late 13th century. Another early example is María de Bierria, a noblewoman from the nearby village of Lesaka, mentioned in a document dating back to 1327.
During the 15th century, the Bierria family played a significant role in the local politics and governance of the Basque region. Sancho de Bierria served as the mayor of the town of Maya in 1462, while his cousin, Martín de Bierria, was a prominent landowner and member of the local council in the neighboring village of Oitz.
In the 16th century, the Bierria name gained prominence in the arts and literature. Juan de Bierria (1525-1602), a renowned poet and playwright from Pamplona, was widely celebrated for his contributions to the development of Basque theater. His contemporary, María de Bierria (1540-1619), was a respected scholar and author of several influential works on Basque language and culture.
As the Bierria family spread across the Basque region and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Bierria, Vierria, and Bierrea. In the 18th century, the Bierria name was also found in the records of the Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Argentina.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Bierria, including Manuel de Bierria (1769-1847), a prominent military officer who played a crucial role in the Spanish struggle for independence against the French occupation; Catalina de Bierria (1822-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Spain; and Ignacio de Bierria (1875-1941), a renowned architect responsible for the design of several landmark buildings in San Sebastián and Bilbao.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bierria
Among Census respondents with the surname Bierria, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bierria 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 Bierria surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.8% · 93
- Two or more races9.3% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- White0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bierria
Bierria 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
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 7,918 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 Bierria 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 | #135,593 | #143,511 | -5.8% |
| Count | 124 | 118 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bierria bearers went from 124 to 118 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 7,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #143,511.
FAQ
Bierria surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bierria?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Bierria. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Bierria?
Bierria ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Bierria. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Bierria.
Has Bierria become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bierria went from 124 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bierria?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bierria, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Hispanic (7.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bierria in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bierria appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (78.8%), Two or More Races (9.3%), Hispanic (7.6%). 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 Bierria (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 Bierria mean?
An Occupational surname derived from a brewer or tavern keeper. 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 Bierria (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 Bierria?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.