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

Biswas, 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 Biswas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Biswas in America

Biswas is the 15406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Biswas surname appeared 1,902 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Biswas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Biswas 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 Biswas

The surname Biswas originates from the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Bengal region encompassing present-day Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam. It is a Sanskrit-derived name that can be traced back to the medieval period.

Biswas is a patronymic name derived from the Sanskrit word 'Vishwas,' which means trust or faith. It was likely initially used as a title or honorific for individuals considered trustworthy or faithful, perhaps in administrative or religious roles. Over time, it became an inherited surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Biswas appears in the Devi Mahatmya, a Sanskrit text believed to have been composed between the 5th and 6th centuries CE. In this text, a character named Vishwas is mentioned, suggesting the name's antiquity.

During the medieval era, the Biswas surname was prevalent among the Hindu Brahmin community in Bengal. Several notable individuals bore this surname, including the 16th-century Bengali polymath Varadaraja Biswas, known for his contributions to astronomy, mathematics, and poetry.

In the 18th century, the Biswas surname gained prominence with the birth of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891), a renowned Bengali philosopher, educator, and social reformer. His efforts to promote education and uplift underprivileged communities made him a revered figure in Bengal.

Another notable figure was Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858-1937), a pioneering scientist and polymath who made significant contributions to the fields of biophysics, botany, and wireless communication. His invention of the Crescograph, a device for measuring plant growth, brought him international acclaim.

In the literary realm, the Biswas surname is associated with Nirad C. Chaudhuri (1897-1999), a celebrated writer and scholar known for his autobiographical works, including the acclaimed "The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian."

The name Biswas has also been prominent in the field of music, with the legendary Bengali singer Pankaj Kumar Mullick (1923-1978), popularly known as Pankaj Mullick, being one of the most recognizable figures associated with this surname.

While the Biswas surname is predominantly found in the Bengal region, it has also been adopted by various communities across India, reflecting the cultural diversity and migration patterns within the subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Biswas

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

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 Biswas 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 Biswas 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 Biswas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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