2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Buestan
Of Spanish origin, referring to someone from Buesta.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 385 Americans carry the last name Buestan. That puts it at #64,041 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 890,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buestan 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
385
1 in 890,271
Census rank
#64,041
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
336
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 336 bearers of the surname Buestan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64041st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buestan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 99.4%. The next largest groups are White (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buestan
The surname Buestan originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "buestan," which means "orchard" or "garden." The name likely originated as a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near or worked in an orchard or garden.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Buestan can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrias, a 14th-century manuscript documenting the villages and landowners in the Kingdom of Castile. The name appears in this document in reference to a landowner named Pedro Buestan, who held property in the region of La Rioja.
In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent family with the surname Buestan living in the city of Seville. Juan Buestan (1428-1498) was a wealthy merchant and landowner who held significant influence in the city's affairs. His son, Diego Buestan (1460-1532), followed in his footsteps and became a respected member of Seville's elite.
During the 16th century, the Buestan name spread to other parts of Spain, including Catalonia and Valencia. One notable individual from this period was Juana Buestan (1512-1588), a poet and writer from Valencia whose works were widely acclaimed in her time.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Buestan family migrated to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One of the earliest recorded examples is Pedro Buestan (1620-1698), who settled in present-day Mexico and became a successful landowner and rancher.
Another prominent figure with the Buestan surname was Margarita Buestan (1745-1812), a philanthropist and patron of the arts from Seville. She was known for her support of local artists and her efforts to establish charitable institutions in the city.
While the Buestan name has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the surname remains most prevalent in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, where it continues to hold significance as a link to the nation's rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buestan
Among Census respondents with the surname Buestan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 99.4%. The next largest groups are White (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Buestan 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 Buestan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino99.4% · 334
- White0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buestan
Buestan 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
#73,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 265
+149 bearers (+128.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 60,822 places
2020
#64,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
+71 bearers (+26.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 9,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,215 | 265 | 0.09 | +149 bearers (+128.4%) | Up 60,822 places |
| 2020 | #64,041 | 336 | 0.11 | +71 bearers (+26.8%) | Up 9,174 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 Buestan 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 | #73,215 | #64,041 | 12.5% |
| Count | 265 | 336 | 26.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.11 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buestan bearers went from 265 to 336 (+26.8% change). The surname moved up 9,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,215 to #64,041.
FAQ
Buestan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buestan?
Name Census estimates that about 385 living Americans carry the surname Buestan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 890,271 residents.
How common is Buestan?
Buestan ranks #64,041 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 336 people with the surname Buestan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (385), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Buestan.
Has Buestan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buestan went from 265 recorded bearers to 336. That is an increase of 71 (+26.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #73,215 to #64,041.
What does the Census say about the background of Buestan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buestan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 99.4%. The next largest groups are White (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Buestan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.4% (334 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buestan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (99.4%), White (0.6%). 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 Buestan (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 Buestan mean?
Of Spanish origin, referring to someone from Buesta. 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 Buestan (0.11 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 Americans have the surname Buestan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.