2000
#11,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,400
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Borjas
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Borja, derived from Arabic "burj" meaning "tower".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,424 Americans carry the last name Borjas. That puts it at #8,220 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,476 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Borjas 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
4.4K
1 in 77,476
Census rank
#8,220
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,858 bearers of the surname Borjas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8220th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Borjas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Borjas
The surname Borjas is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Catalan word "borja," which means "bordio," a small rural dwelling or farmhouse. The name was initially associated with people who lived in or near these types of dwellings in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia.
One of the earliest documented references to the Borjas name can be found in the Llibre del Repartiment de València, a record of the distribution of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Christian conquest in the 13th century. Several individuals with the surname Borjas were listed as recipients of these land grants, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
In the 14th century, the Borjas surname gained prominence with the rise of the influential Borja family, also known as the Borgia family in English. This noble family produced several notable figures, including Rodrigo Borgia, who became Pope Callixtus III in 1455, and his infamous son, Cesare Borgia, who was a cardinal and a renowned military leader.
Another prominent figure bearing the Borjas surname was Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romani (1470-1506), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the Governor of the Duchy of Milan. He played a significant role in the Italian Wars and was known for his loyalty to the Spanish Crown.
In the 16th century, the Borjas name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the chronicles of Jerónimo de Zurita y Castro (1512-1580), a prominent Spanish historian and chronicler. He documented the deeds and exploits of several individuals with the Borjas surname during the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Another notable figure was Pedro de Borjas (1533-1592), a Spanish military commander and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Duchy of Milan and the Captain General of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. He played a crucial role in the Spanish Empire's affairs in Italy during the latter part of the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Borjas surname gained further prominence with the figure of Juan de Borjas y Velasco (1593-1647), a Spanish military officer and diplomat who served as the Viceroy of Peru from 1615 to 1622. He was known for his efforts in improving the administrative and defensive structures of the Viceroyalty during his tenure.
Throughout history, the Borjas surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Borja, Borgia, and Borghese, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences in different regions where the name was present.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Borjas
Among Census respondents with the surname Borjas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Borjas 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 Borjas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.0% · 3,626
- White5.0% · 191
- Two or more races0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Borjas
Borjas 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
#9,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,609
+1,209 bearers (+50.4%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 2,889 places
2020
#8,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,858
+249 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,943 | 2,400 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,054 | 3,609 | 1.22 | +1,209 bearers (+50.4%) | Up 2,889 places |
| 2020 | #8,220 | 3,858 | 1.29 | +249 bearers (+6.9%) | Up 834 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 Borjas 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 | #9,054 | #8,220 | 9.2% |
| Count | 3,609 | 3,858 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.29 | 5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Borjas bearers went from 3,609 to 3,858 (+6.9% change). The surname moved up 834 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,054 to #8,220.
FAQ
Borjas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Borjas?
Name Census estimates that about 4,424 living Americans carry the surname Borjas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,476 residents.
How common is Borjas?
Borjas ranks #8,220 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,858 people with the surname Borjas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,424), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Borjas.
Has Borjas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Borjas went from 3,609 recorded bearers to 3,858. That is an increase of 249 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,054 to #8,220.
What does the Census say about the background of Borjas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Borjas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Borjas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (3,626 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Borjas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.0%), White (5.0%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Borjas (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 Borjas mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Borja, derived from Arabic "burj" meaning "tower". 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 Borjas (1.29 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 common is the surname Borjas?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Borjas at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.