2000
#3,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.81
Uncommon Last name
Borges
A Spanish and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a tower or fortress.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,459 Americans carry the last name Borges. That puts it at #2,782 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Borges 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Borges with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 23,705
Census rank
#2,782
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,609 bearers of the surname Borges in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2782nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Borges, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.8%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Borges
The surname Borges has its origins in Spain, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "borga," which means a small hamlet or village. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived in or came from a small village.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Borges can be found in the medieval Spanish manuscript "El Libro de las Behetrías," which dates back to the reign of King Alfonso XI in the 14th century. This document lists various noble families and their holdings, including individuals bearing the surname Borges.
In the 15th century, the name Borges appeared in several historical records related to the Spanish Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms fought to reclaim territories from the Moors. Some notable individuals with this surname during this time include Juan Borges, a military commander who participated in the conquest of Granada in 1492.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the name Borges spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America. One of the most famous bearers of this surname is Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), an Argentine writer and poet widely regarded as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century.
Another notable individual with the surname Borges was Bartolomé Mitre Borges (1821-1906), an Argentine statesman and writer who served as the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868. He played a significant role in the unification of the country and the establishment of a centralized government.
In Portugal, the surname Borges is also found, although its origins are slightly different. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "borga," which means a small village or hamlet, similar to its Spanish counterpart. One notable Portuguese figure with this surname was Tomás Borges (1758-1838), a poet and playwright who contributed to the development of Portuguese Neoclassical literature.
Throughout history, the surname Borges has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, in Spain, there are towns and villages such as Borges Blanques and Borges del Campo, which likely influenced the formation of the surname. Additionally, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Borjas and Burrges, reflecting regional variations and language changes over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Borges
Among Census respondents with the surname Borges, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.8%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Borges 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 Borges surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.4% · 6,731
- Hispanic or Latino38.8% · 4,886
- Black or African American3.0% · 377
- Two or more races2.8% · 348
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 250
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Borges
Borges 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
#2,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,337
+2,055 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 4.18
Rank movement Up 288 places
2020
#2,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,609
+272 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 4.22
Rank movement Up 126 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,196 | 10,282 | 3.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,908 | 12,337 | 4.18 | +2,055 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 288 places |
| 2020 | #2,782 | 12,609 | 4.22 | +272 bearers (+2.2%) | Up 126 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 Borges 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 | #2,908 | #2,782 | 4.3% |
| Count | 12,337 | 12,609 | 2.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.18 | 4.22 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Borges bearers went from 12,337 to 12,609 (+2.2% change). The surname moved up 126 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,908 to #2,782.
FAQ
Borges surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Borges?
Name Census estimates that about 14,459 living Americans carry the surname Borges. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,705 residents.
How common is Borges?
Borges ranks #2,782 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,609 people with the surname Borges. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,459), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Borges.
Has Borges become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Borges went from 12,337 recorded bearers to 12,609. That is an increase of 272 (+2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,908 to #2,782.
What does the Census say about the background of Borges?
Among Census respondents with the surname Borges, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.8%) and Black (3.0%). 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 Borges in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.4% (6,731 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Borges appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.4%), Hispanic (38.8%), Black (3.0%). 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 Borges (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 Borges mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a tower or fortress. 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 Borges (4.22 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 surname Borges?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.