Explore the Family Name Biss
The meaning of Biss
1. English: from Middle English bis ‘brownish or dark gray’ (Old French bis), denoting someone with a dark complexion or who wore dark clothing. 2. South German: nickname for a cutting, sarcastic person, from Biss ‘bite’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Biss in the United States?
According to the data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Biss has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 27,049 and by 2010, it had dropped to 30,222, marking an 11.73% decrease in its rank. The count of individuals carrying the Biss surname also decreased by approximately 8%, with the number falling from 842 in 2000 to 775 in 2010. Moreover, the proportion of people named Biss per 100k saw a decrease of 16.13%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,049 | #30,222 | -11.73% |
| Count | 842 | 775 | -7.96% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.31 | 0.26 | -16.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Biss
Regarding ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals with the Biss surname identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, with an increase from 94.89% to 96.13%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with two or more races fell to zero by 2010. The data for 2010 also revealed new instances of the Biss surname among individuals identifying as Hispanic and Black. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a significant drop of 45.79%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.89% | 96.13% | 1.31% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.14% | 1.16% | -45.79% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.03% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.9% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.07% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0.83% | 0% | 0% |