2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Borsi
Possibly derived from the Italian "borsa" meaning purse or moneybag.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Borsi. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Borsi 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Borsi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Borsi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Borsi
The surname BORSI is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "borsus," meaning "purse" or "pouch," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been involved in the trade or manufacture of such items.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BORSI name can be found in the historic town of Faenza, located in the province of Ravenna. In the 13th century, a notable family of that name resided in the area, with records indicating their involvement in local government and civic affairs.
During the Renaissance period, the BORSI name gained prominence in the city of Florence, where several members of the family were successful merchants and bankers. Notably, Giovanni Battista BORSI (1492-1572) was a renowned diplomat and statesman who served as ambassador to various European courts on behalf of the Medici family.
In the late 16th century, the BORSI lineage spread beyond Italy, with some bearers of the name settling in other parts of Europe. One such individual was Giacomo BORSI (1560-1628), a skilled architect who worked on several prestigious projects in Spain, including the construction of the Royal Palace in Madrid.
The 17th century saw the emergence of a notable BORSI family in the region of Piedmont, Italy. Pietro BORSI (1623-1697) was a respected scholar and author, renowned for his contributions to the field of literature and philosophy. His son, Carlo BORSI (1655-1718), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of Turin.
As the BORSI name spread across Italy and beyond, it was occasionally subject to slight variations in spelling, such as Borsy or Borsie. However, the core form of BORSI has remained largely consistent throughout its long history.
In the 19th century, the BORSI surname was associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. Guglielmo BORSI (1812-1885) was a celebrated painter from Milan, known for his exquisite landscapes and portraiture. Meanwhile, Antonio BORSI (1835-1901) was a distinguished physicist and inventor from Parma, who made significant contributions to the field of electromagnetism.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Borsi
Among Census respondents with the surname Borsi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Borsi 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 Borsi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 98
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Borsi
Borsi 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 6,220 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 Borsi 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 | #160,975 | #154,755 | 3.9% |
| Count | 100 | 102 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Borsi bearers went from 100 to 102 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 6,220 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,755.
FAQ
Borsi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Borsi?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Borsi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Borsi?
Borsi ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Borsi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Borsi.
Has Borsi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Borsi went from 100 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Borsi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Borsi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Borsi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Borsi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Black (2.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Borsi (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 Borsi mean?
Possibly derived from the Italian "borsa" meaning purse or moneybag. 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 Borsi (0.03 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 are called Borsi?
Want to know how many people have the surname Borsi? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.