2000
#29,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 739
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Rare Last name
Berroa
A Spanish surname possibly derived from a place name related to berruecos meaning cliffs or rocky outcroppings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,556 Americans carry the last name Berroa. That puts it at #19,856 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 220,279 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berroa 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
1.6K
1 in 220,279
Census rank
#19,856
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,357 bearers of the surname Berroa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19856th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berroa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berroa
The surname Berroa has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 10th or 11th century.
One theory suggests that Berroa is derived from the Basque word "berro," which means "watercress." This connection could indicate that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived near streams or areas abundant with watercress. Alternatively, the name may have been a occupational surname, referring to individuals who cultivated or traded in watercress.
Another possible explanation for the origin of Berroa is that it is related to the Spanish word "berrio," which means "new" or "newly founded." This could suggest that the name was initially given to settlers or individuals who established new communities or settlements.
Historical records indicate that the Berroa surname appeared in various medieval documents from the Iberian region. For instance, there are mentions of individuals with this surname in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a 14th-century census-like document that recorded landholdings and vassalage in Castile.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Berroa surname is Pedro Berroa, a Spanish knight who fought in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. He was born in the late 13th century and participated in the siege of Granada in 1492.
Another notable figure was Juana Berroa, a 16th-century Spanish poet and writer from Seville. Her works, though not widely known today, were celebrated during her lifetime for their lyrical quality and exploration of themes such as love and spirituality.
In the 17th century, a Jesuit missionary named Diego Berroa traveled to South America and played a significant role in establishing missions and converting indigenous populations to Christianity in what is now Paraguay and Argentina.
During the 18th century, a prominent Spanish military leader named Manuel Berroa distinguished himself in the Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of general and earning recognition for his strategic acumen and bravery on the battlefield.
In more recent history, the Cuban-American baseball player Geovany Berroa, born in 1984, had a successful career in Major League Baseball, playing for teams such as the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While the exact origins of the Berroa surname may be subject to debate, its presence throughout Spanish and Portuguese history, as well as its emergence in various parts of the world, attests to its enduring legacy and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berroa
Among Census respondents with the surname Berroa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Berroa 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 Berroa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.1% · 1,263
- White4.1% · 56
- Black or African American1.9% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 5
- Two or more races0.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berroa
Berroa 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
#23,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,102
+363 bearers (+49.1%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 6,811 places
2020
#19,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,357
+255 bearers (+23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 3,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,964 | 739 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,153 | 1,102 | 0.37 | +363 bearers (+49.1%) | Up 6,811 places |
| 2020 | #19,856 | 1,357 | 0.45 | +255 bearers (+23.1%) | Up 3,297 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 Berroa 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 | #23,153 | #19,856 | 14.2% |
| Count | 1,102 | 1,357 | 23.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.45 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berroa bearers went from 1,102 to 1,357 (+23.1% change). The surname moved up 3,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,153 to #19,856.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Berroa
FAQ
Berroa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berroa?
Name Census estimates that about 1,556 living Americans carry the surname Berroa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 220,279 residents.
How common is Berroa?
Berroa ranks #19,856 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,357 people with the surname Berroa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,556), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Berroa.
Has Berroa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berroa went from 1,102 recorded bearers to 1,357. That is an increase of 255 (+23.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,153 to #19,856.
What does the Census say about the background of Berroa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berroa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Black (1.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Berroa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (1,263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berroa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.1%), White (4.1%), Black (1.9%). 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 Berroa (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 Berroa mean?
A Spanish surname possibly derived from a place name related to berruecos meaning cliffs or rocky outcroppings. 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 Berroa (0.45 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 common is the surname Berroa?
See how many people are called Berroa on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.