Find out how popular the last name Bishara is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bishara.

Bishara, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bishara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bishara in America

Bishara is the 33410th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bishara surname appeared 683 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bishara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bishara to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bishara

The surname Bishara has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Levantine region. It is an Arabic name derived from the word "bisharah," which means "good news" or "glad tidings." The earliest known instances of this surname can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the early days of the Islamic expansion into the Levant.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Bishara surname can be found in the "Kitab al-Ansab," an influential genealogical work compiled by the 9th-century scholar, al-Sam'ani. This text documents several prominent Arab families bearing the name, suggesting that the surname had already established itself within the region by that time.

During the Mamluk era, which spanned from the 13th to the 16th centuries, several individuals with the surname Bishara held influential positions within the administrative and military ranks. Notably, Bishara al-Khazindari, who lived in the 14th century, served as the governor of Damascus for a brief period.

As the Ottoman Empire expanded its reach into the Levant in the 16th century, the Bishara surname continued to be prevalent among the Arab population. In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Yahya Bishara Akawi was a renowned scholar and poet, known for his contributions to Arabic literature.

In the 19th century, the Bishara surname became more widespread across the Middle East, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was Mikhail Bishara, a Syrian politician and diplomat who played a significant role in the early years of the modern Syrian state. He was born in 1870 and served as the first Prime Minister of Syria from 1920 to 1922.

Another notable individual was Wadi' Bishara, a Palestinian Christian writer and activist who was born in 1887. He was a prominent figure in the Palestinian national movement and worked tirelessly to promote Arab unity and independence from colonial rule.

While the Bishara surname has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. Regardless of their geographical location, individuals bearing this surname can trace their lineage back to the rich cultural and historical tapestry of the Levantine region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bishara

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bishara.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bishara was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bishara has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bishara was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bishara, please contact us.

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