2000
#8,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,741
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Borst
A Dutch and German occupational surname referring to a brush maker or someone with bristly hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,072 Americans carry the last name Borst. That puts it at #8,852 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Borst 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
4.1K
1 in 84,173
Census rank
#8,852
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,551 bearers of the surname Borst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8852nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Borst, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Borst
Among Census respondents with the surname Borst, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Borst 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 Borst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,283
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 119
- Two or more races2.6% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 24
- Black or African American0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Borst
Borst 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
#8,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,048
+307 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 39 places
2020
#8,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,551
-497 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 654 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,159 | 3,741 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,198 | 4,048 | 1.37 | +307 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 39 places |
| 2020 | #8,852 | 3,551 | 1.19 | -497 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 654 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 Borst 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 | #8,198 | #8,852 | -8.0% |
| Count | 4,048 | 3,551 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.19 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Borst bearers went from 4,048 to 3,551 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 654 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,198 to #8,852.
FAQ
Borst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Borst?
Name Census estimates that about 4,072 living Americans carry the surname Borst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,173 residents.
How common is Borst?
Borst ranks #8,852 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 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 3,551 people with the surname Borst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,072), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 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 Borst.
Has Borst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Borst went from 4,048 recorded bearers to 3,551. That is a decrease of 497 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,198 to #8,852.
What does the Census say about the background of Borst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Borst, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Borst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,283 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Borst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Borst (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 Borst mean?
A Dutch and German occupational surname referring to a brush maker or someone with bristly hair. 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 Borst (1.19 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 Borst?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.