2010
#38,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 577
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Rare Last name
Biswa
A surname of Indian origin meaning the universe or world.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,819 Americans carry the last name Biswa. That puts it at #12,104 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,587 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biswa 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
2.8K
1 in 121,587
Census rank
#12,104
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,458 bearers of the surname Biswa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12104th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biswa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.8%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biswa
The surname "BISWA" is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the eastern region of Bengal. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Visva," which means "universe" or "cosmic." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who had a deep understanding or connection with the cosmos or the natural world.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "BISWA" can be traced back to the 12th century, where it appeared in ancient Bengali manuscripts and inscriptions. Some of these inscriptions were found in temples and religious sites, indicating that individuals with this surname may have held important roles in spiritual or philosophical spheres during that era.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "BISWA" was Biswa Singha, a renowned Bengali poet and scholar who lived in the 16th century. His literary works, which often explored themes of spirituality and nature, are considered important contributions to Bengali literature.
In the 17th century, the name "BISWA" was associated with the village of Biswanath, located in the present-day state of Assam. This village was named after a local ruler named Biswanath Singha, who was believed to have played a significant role in the region's history and cultural development.
Another notable figure with the surname "BISWA" was Biswa Kalyan Parishad (1874-1942), a prominent social reformer and educator from Bengal. Parishad dedicated his life to promoting education and social welfare, particularly among underprivileged communities in rural areas.
During the 19th century, the name "BISWA" was also found in records from the state of Odisha, where it was sometimes spelled as "Biswas." One prominent individual with this spelling was Radhanath Biswas (1813-1888), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and writer who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian literature and philosophy.
The name "BISWA" has also been associated with various place names and locations across India, such as Biswanath Chariali in Assam, Biswanath Ghat in Uttar Pradesh, and Biswanath Puri in Odisha. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its Sanskrit origins, reflecting the widespread influence and significance of the name in different regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biswa
Among Census respondents with the surname Biswa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.8%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Biswa 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 Biswa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.8% · 2,403
- Two or more races0.8% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 18
- White0.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biswa
Biswa 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
#12,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,458
+1,881 bearers (+326.0%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 26,285 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #38,389 | 577 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #12,104 | 2,458 | 0.82 | +1,881 bearers (+326.0%) | Up 26,285 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 Biswa 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 | #38,389 | #12,104 | 68.5% |
| Count | 577 | 2,458 | 326.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.82 | 311.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biswa bearers went from 577 to 2,458 (+326.0% change). The surname moved up 26,285 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,389 to #12,104.
FAQ
Biswa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biswa?
Name Census estimates that about 2,819 living Americans carry the surname Biswa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,587 residents.
How common is Biswa?
Biswa ranks #12,104 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,458 people with the surname Biswa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,819), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Biswa.
Has Biswa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biswa went from 577 recorded bearers to 2,458. That is an increase of 1,881 (+326.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #38,389 to #12,104.
What does the Census say about the background of Biswa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biswa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.8%) and Hispanic (0.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Biswa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.8% (2,403 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biswa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.8%), Two or More Races (0.8%), Hispanic (0.7%). 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 Biswa (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 Biswa mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning the universe or world. 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 Biswa (0.82 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 Biswa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.