2000
#3,927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,312
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.08
Uncommon Last name
Briseno
A Spanish surname derived from a place name referring to a person from Briceño, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,035 Americans carry the last name Briseno. That puts it at #3,349 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Briseno 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
12K
1 in 28,480
Census rank
#3,349
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,495 bearers of the surname Briseno in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3349th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Briseno, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Briseno
The surname Briseno is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the northern regions of Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Spanish word "briza," which means "breeze" or "gentle wind." This connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a windy or breezy area.
In its earliest forms, the name appeared as "Briçeno" or "Briçenno" in various historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. Some scholars propose that the name might also be linked to the Basque word "brizna," meaning "straw" or "chaff," potentially indicating an association with agricultural activities or a particular location known for its farming.
One of the earliest known references to the Briseno name can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a medieval Spanish manuscript compiled in the 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Briseno as landholders in the regions of Burgos and Palencia.
Notable individuals bearing the Briseno surname throughout history include Pedro Briseno (1564-1633), a Spanish poet and playwright from Valladolid, renowned for his works in the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Another prominent figure was Juan Briseno (1609-1678), a Spanish military engineer who served in the Spanish army and contributed to fortification projects in various parts of Europe.
In the New World, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Briseno name dates back to the 16th century, with the arrival of Spanish conquistadors and settlers in the Americas. Francisco Briseno (1540-1612) was a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico and later served as the governor of the province of Nueva Vizcaya (present-day northern Mexico).
During the colonial era, the Briseno surname spread throughout Latin America, particularly in regions like Mexico, where it became associated with several prominent families and individuals. For example, Manuel Briseno (1791-1868) was a Mexican politician and military leader who played a significant role in the Mexican-American War.
Another noteworthy figure was José Briseno (1822-1892), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as the governor of the state of Coahuila from 1869 to 1871. He was also a prominent advocate for the rights of indigenous communities and worked to promote education and social reforms.
As the Briseno surname spread across different regions, various spellings and variations emerged, such as Briseño, Brizeno, and Brizueño, reflecting local linguistic and cultural influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Spanish heritage, carrying the connection to the concepts of wind, breeze, and potentially agricultural elements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Briseno
Among Census respondents with the surname Briseno, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Briseno 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 Briseno surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.9% · 9,750
- White5.8% · 611
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 36
- Two or more races0.3% · 32
- Black or African American0.2% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Briseno
Briseno 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
#3,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,821
+2,509 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 3.67
Rank movement Up 614 places
2020
#3,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,495
-326 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 3.51
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,927 | 8,312 | 3.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,313 | 10,821 | 3.67 | +2,509 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 614 places |
| 2020 | #3,349 | 10,495 | 3.51 | -326 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 36 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 Briseno 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 | #3,313 | #3,349 | -1.1% |
| Count | 10,821 | 10,495 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.67 | 3.51 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Briseno bearers went from 10,821 to 10,495 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,313 to #3,349.
FAQ
Briseno surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Briseno?
Name Census estimates that about 12,035 living Americans carry the surname Briseno. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,480 residents.
How common is Briseno?
Briseno ranks #3,349 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,495 people with the surname Briseno. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,035), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Briseno.
Has Briseno become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Briseno went from 10,821 recorded bearers to 10,495. That is a decrease of 326 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,313 to #3,349.
What does the Census say about the background of Briseno?
Among Census respondents with the surname Briseno, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Briseno in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (9,750 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Briseno appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.9%), White (5.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Briseno (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 Briseno mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a place name referring to a person from Briceño, Spain. 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 Briseno (3.51 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 Briseno?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.