2000
#2,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,537
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.65
Uncommon Last name
Acuna
Derived from a Basque word meaning "located on a steep hill or mountain" or "summit."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,924 Americans carry the last name Acuna. That puts it at #2,139 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,112 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acuna 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
19K
1 in 18,112
Census rank
#2,139
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,503 bearers of the surname Acuna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2139th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acuna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acuna
The surname Acuna originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "acuna," which means "cradle" or "to cradle." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with families or individuals involved in the cradle-making trade or those who worked as midwives or nursemaids.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Acuna name can be found in the Cartulario de Santillana, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century that documents various legal transactions and property records in the region of Cantabria, Spain. This historical document mentions several individuals bearing the Acuna surname, indicating their presence in the region during that time period.
In the 13th century, the Acuna family gained prominence and established themselves as a noble lineage in the Kingdom of León. One notable figure from this era was Juan Alonso de Acuna, who served as a knight and military commander during the reign of King Alfonso X of Castile and León (1252-1284).
During the 15th century, the Acuna name became associated with the town of Acuña, located in the province of León, Spain. It is believed that some members of the Acuna family may have taken on the name of this town as their surname, further solidifying the connection between the name and the region.
In the 16th century, Hernando de Acuña (1515-1580) was a renowned Spanish poet and historian who served as a soldier and diplomat under the reign of King Philip II. His literary works, including the epic poem "La Conquista de Granada," gained him recognition and contributed to the cultural legacy of the Acuna name.
Another notable figure was Cristóbal de Acuña (1597-1675), a Spanish Jesuit missionary and explorer who documented his expeditions along the Amazon River in South America. His account, "Nuevo Descubrimiento del Gran Río de las Amazonas," provided valuable insights into the region's geography and indigenous cultures.
As the Acuna family spread across Spain and its territories, the name also found its way to the Americas during the colonial era. One example is Juan de Acuña y Rodríguez (1661-1731), a Spanish military officer and governor who served in various provinces of New Spain (present-day Mexico).
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Acuna surname throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and significance within Spanish and Hispanic culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acuna
Among Census respondents with the surname Acuna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Acuna 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 Acuna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.8% · 14,485
- White6.6% · 1,084
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 611
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 135
- Two or more races0.7% · 119
- Black or African American0.4% · 69
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acuna
Acuna 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
#2,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,683
+4,146 bearers (+33.1%)
Per 100,000 5.66
Rank movement Up 471 places
2020
#2,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,503
-180 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 5.52
Rank movement Up 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,650 | 12,537 | 4.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,179 | 16,683 | 5.66 | +4,146 bearers (+33.1%) | Up 471 places |
| 2020 | #2,139 | 16,503 | 5.52 | -180 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 40 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 Acuna 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 | #2,179 | #2,139 | 1.8% |
| Count | 16,683 | 16,503 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 5.66 | 5.52 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acuna bearers went from 16,683 to 16,503 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,179 to #2,139.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Acuna
FAQ
Acuna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acuna?
Name Census estimates that about 18,924 living Americans carry the surname Acuna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,112 residents.
How common is Acuna?
Acuna ranks #2,139 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,503 people with the surname Acuna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,924), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Acuna.
Has Acuna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acuna went from 16,683 recorded bearers to 16,503. That is a decrease of 180 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,179 to #2,139.
What does the Census say about the background of Acuna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acuna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Acuna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (14,485 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acuna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.8%), White (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Acuna (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 Acuna mean?
Derived from a Basque word meaning "located on a steep hill or mountain" or "summit." 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 Acuna (5.52 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 Acuna?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.