2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Biscaino
A surname originating from the historical region of Biscay in northern Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Biscaino. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biscaino 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Biscaino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biscaino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biscaino
The surname Biscaino originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Campania, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "biscaino," which means "a native of the Basque region." The name likely referred to individuals who migrated from the Basque Country to Italy, particularly to the area around Naples.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Biscaino can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Naples, where a merchant named Antonio Biscaino was mentioned in a trade document. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Girolamo Biscaino (1434-1497) was a renowned architect and engineer from Naples. He is best known for his contributions to the construction of the Castel Nuovo, a prominent medieval castle in the city.
During the 16th century, the name Biscaino appeared in several historical records from the Kingdom of Naples. One notable individual was Vincenzo Biscaino (1512-1587), a military commander who served under the Spanish Crown during the Italian Wars.
Another prominent figure was Pier Francesco Biscaino (1564-1623), a painter from Naples who specialized in religious artworks. Some of his notable works can still be found in churches and galleries across Italy.
In the 17th century, the Biscaino family established itself as a prominent noble family in the Kingdom of Naples. One member, Fabrizio Biscaino (1642-1712), was a respected lawyer and served as a judge in the royal courts.
Over the centuries, the surname Biscaino has spread beyond Italy, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of Europe and the Americas. However, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages in the region of Campania, where it was closely associated with the migration of people from the Basque region to the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biscaino
Among Census respondents with the surname Biscaino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Biscaino 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 Biscaino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.9% · 87
- White6.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 4
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biscaino
Biscaino 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-24 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 31,593 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 31,593 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 1,918 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 Biscaino 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 | #154,907 | #152,989 | 1.2% |
| Count | 105 | 105 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biscaino bearers went from 105 to 105 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 1,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,989.
FAQ
Biscaino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biscaino?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Biscaino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Biscaino?
Biscaino ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Biscaino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Biscaino.
Has Biscaino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biscaino went from 105 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Biscaino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biscaino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Biscaino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biscaino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.9%), White (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Biscaino (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 Biscaino mean?
A surname originating from the historical region of Biscay in northern Spain. 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 Biscaino (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 Americans have the surname Biscaino?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.