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

Borst, 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 Borst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Borst in America

Borst is the 8198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Borst surname appeared 4,048 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 Borst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Borst 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 Borst

The surname Borst is of Dutch origin, tracing its roots back to the Netherlands and the surrounding Low Countries regions. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely derived from the Dutch word "borst," meaning "breast" or "chest."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Borst surname can be found in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where a Pieter Borst was documented as a resident in the late 16th century. This suggests that the name was already established in the Netherlands by that time.

In the 17th century, the Borst name appears in various historical records, including church registers and municipal documents from cities like Rotterdam and Leiden. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with the name sometimes appearing as Borste, Borscht, or Borstel.

One notable figure bearing the Borst surname was Arnoult Borst, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was involved in the lucrative spice trade between the Netherlands and the East Indies.

Another prominent individual was Hendrik Borst (1598-1672), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life and genre paintings. His works can be found in museums across the Netherlands and Europe.

In the 18th century, the Borst name appears to have spread beyond the Netherlands, with records showing individuals with this surname residing in neighboring countries like Germany and Belgium. This may have been due to migration patterns or intermarriage between Dutch families and those from surrounding regions.

One intriguing historical reference is the mention of a Joost Borst in the court records of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) in the early 18th century. This suggests that some individuals with the Borst surname may have been involved in the Dutch colonial endeavors in Southeast Asia.

Another notable figure was Jan Borst (1744-1823), a Dutch mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

As the centuries progressed, the Borst surname continued to be present in various parts of Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. While not as common as some other Dutch surnames, it has maintained a consistent presence throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Borst

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

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

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

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