2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Birsa
An Indian surname common among certain ethnic groups referring to a leader or chief.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Birsa. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Birsa 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Birsa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Birsa, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Birsa
The surname Birsa has its origins in India, specifically in the region of present-day Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is believed to have emerged during the 18th century, derived from the Mundari language spoken by the indigenous Munda people.
Birsa is closely associated with the life and legacy of Birsa Munda, a renowned folk hero and leader of the Millenarian movement among the tribal communities in the late 19th century. Born in 1875, Birsa Munda led an uprising against the British colonial authorities and the exploitative practices of landlords and moneylenders.
The name Birsa is thought to have its roots in the Mundari word "Bir," which means "forest" or "wilderness." This connection reflects the strong ties of the Munda people to their ancestral lands and their deep reverence for nature.
Historically, the name Birsa has been documented in various colonial records and missionary accounts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These sources provide insights into the lives and struggles of the Munda people during the period of British rule in India.
In addition to Birsa Munda, other notable individuals with the surname Birsa have made their mark throughout history. One such figure is Birsa Bodra Munda, a prominent leader of the Santhal tribe who played a pivotal role in the Santhal Rebellion of 1855-1856 against the British East India Company.
Another influential figure is Mahasay Dharamraj Birsa, a spiritual leader and social reformer from the late 19th century, who worked towards the upliftment of the Munda community and advocated for their rights and cultural preservation.
The name Birsa has also been carried by scholars and writers, such as Pandit Raghunath Murmu Birsa, a renowned linguist and author who made significant contributions to the study and documentation of the Mundari language and literature in the early 20th century.
Furthermore, the legacy of the name Birsa lives on in contemporary times, with individuals like Dr. Birsa Manjhi, a renowned anthropologist and expert on tribal communities, and Birsa Tiger, a prominent activist and advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples in India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Birsa
Among Census respondents with the surname Birsa, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Birsa 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 Birsa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Birsa
Birsa 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-13 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 23,197 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 23,197 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,569 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 Birsa 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 | #157,234 | #148,665 | 5.4% |
| Count | 103 | 111 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Birsa bearers went from 103 to 111 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #148,665.
FAQ
Birsa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Birsa?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Birsa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Birsa?
Birsa ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Birsa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Birsa.
Has Birsa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Birsa went from 103 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Birsa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Birsa, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (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 Birsa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Birsa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (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 Birsa (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 Birsa mean?
An Indian surname common among certain ethnic groups referring to a leader or chief. 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 Birsa (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 last name Birsa?
See how many people have the surname Birsa on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.