2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Buja
A surname with multiple possible origins, including a Turkish personal name or a Spanish locative name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Buja. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buja 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Buja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buja, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buja
The surname "BUJA" is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the Veneto region, during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word "buja," which means "hole" or "cave," suggesting that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who lived or worked in or near caves or underground dwellings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "BUJA" can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Buja, located in the province of Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. This town's name is believed to have stemmed from the same root as the surname, further strengthening the connection between the name and its potential origins.
In the 14th century, records show a notable figure named Giovanni Buja (born around 1310), who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Venice. His success and wealth allowed him to commission the construction of the Palazzo Buja, a grand residential palace that still stands today in the San Marco district of Venice.
During the Renaissance period, the name "BUJA" gained further recognition through the artist and architect Francesco Buja (1515-1592). Hailing from Vicenza, he is renowned for his contributions to the architectural design of several churches and palaces in the Veneto region, including the Chiesa di San Rocco in Vicenza.
In the 18th century, the name "BUJA" appeared in historical records associated with the Venetian Republic's military forces. One notable figure was Antonio Buja (1733-1803), a highly decorated naval officer who rose through the ranks to become an admiral in the Venetian fleet, playing a significant role in various maritime campaigns.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname "BUJA" was the Italian playwright and poet Vincenzo Buja (1812-1885), who gained recognition for his works that explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class during the turbulent years leading up to the unification of Italy.
Throughout its history, the surname "BUJA" has maintained a strong presence in the Veneto region of Italy, with many individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including art, architecture, military, and literature, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buja
Among Census respondents with the surname Buja, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Buja 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 Buja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buja
Buja appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,569 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 Buja 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 | #157,234 | #148,665 | 5.4% |
| Count | 103 | 111 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buja bearers went from 103 to 111 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #148,665.
FAQ
Buja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buja?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Buja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Buja?
Buja ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Buja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Buja.
Has Buja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buja went from 103 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Buja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buja, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Buja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Buja (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 Buja mean?
A surname with multiple possible origins, including a Turkish personal name or a Spanish locative name. 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 Buja (0.04 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 Buja?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.