2000
#8,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,498
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Briceno
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Briceño.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,658 Americans carry the last name Briceno. That puts it at #5,748 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Briceno 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
6.7K
1 in 51,480
Census rank
#5,748
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,806 bearers of the surname Briceno in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5748th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Briceno, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Briceno
The surname BRICENO is of Spanish origin, derived from the Castilian Spanish word "briz" meaning "dwarf plant" or "small shrub." It is believed to have originated in the region of Andalusia, Spain, during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Spanish records and manuscripts from the 13th century. One notable example is the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise written in the 14th century, which mentions a "Juan Briceno" among the hunters and falconers of the court.
In the 15th century, the surname appears in various municipal records and census documents in cities such as Seville and Cordoba. One prominent figure from this era was Pedro Briceno, a renowned architect who designed several churches and landmarks in the city of Seville between 1480 and 1520.
As the Spanish Empire expanded into the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname BRICENO was carried across the Atlantic by early settlers and conquistadors. One such individual was Diego Briceno de la Cueva (1560-1635), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala and later served as the governor of Costa Rica.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in various colonial records in Spain's American territories, including Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia. One notable figure from this period was José Briceno Mendoza (1720-1793), a Venezuelan military officer and politician who served as the governor of the Captaincy General of Venezuela.
During the 19th century, several individuals with the surname BRICENO gained prominence in Latin American politics and literature. Among them were Manuel Briceno Quintero (1825-1898), a Venezuelan politician and diplomat who served as the President of Venezuela from 1868 to 1870, and Ramón Briceno Valero (1835-1891), a Venezuelan poet and writer known for his works celebrating the natural beauty of his homeland.
Other notable individuals with the surname BRICENO include Mariano Briceno (1825-1892), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as the Governor of Chihuahua, and Ramón Briceno Gabiria (1890-1967), a Peruvian diplomat and writer who served as the Peruvian Ambassador to several countries and authored several books on international law.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Briceno
Among Census respondents with the surname Briceno, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Briceno 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 Briceno surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.6% · 5,317
- White6.4% · 374
- Black or African American1.0% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
- Two or more races0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Briceno
Briceno 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
#6,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,030
+1,532 bearers (+43.8%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Up 1,936 places
2020
#5,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,806
+776 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Up 966 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,650 | 3,498 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,714 | 5,030 | 1.71 | +1,532 bearers (+43.8%) | Up 1,936 places |
| 2020 | #5,748 | 5,806 | 1.94 | +776 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 966 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 Briceno 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 | #6,714 | #5,748 | 14.4% |
| Count | 5,030 | 5,806 | 15.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.94 | 13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Briceno bearers went from 5,030 to 5,806 (+15.4% change). The surname moved up 966 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,714 to #5,748.
FAQ
Briceno surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Briceno?
Name Census estimates that about 6,658 living Americans carry the surname Briceno. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,480 residents.
How common is Briceno?
Briceno ranks #5,748 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,806 people with the surname Briceno. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,658), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Briceno.
Has Briceno become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Briceno went from 5,030 recorded bearers to 5,806. That is an increase of 776 (+15.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,714 to #5,748.
What does the Census say about the background of Briceno?
Among Census respondents with the surname Briceno, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Black (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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Briceno in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (5,317 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Briceno appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.6%), White (6.4%), Black (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 Briceno (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 Briceno mean?
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Briceño. 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 Briceno (1.94 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 share the surname Briceno?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.