2000
#1,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,468
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.07
Uncommon Last name
Becerra
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word for "bull" or "cow," likely referring to a cattle herder or rancher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 36,265 Americans carry the last name Becerra. That puts it at #1,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,451 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Becerra 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
36K
1 in 9,451
Census rank
#1,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,625 bearers of the surname Becerra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Becerra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Becerra
The surname Becerra originates from Spain, and its origins can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "becerro," meaning "young bull" or "calf," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone associated with cattle herding or farming.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Becerra name appears in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunting Grounds), a 14th-century manuscript detailing the hunting preserves in Spain during the reign of King Alfonso XI. This document mentions a place called "Becerra" in the province of Salamanca, hinting at the possible origin of the surname from a place name.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the Becerra surname was Pedro de Becerra, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the early 16th century. Another prominent individual was the Spanish Renaissance sculptor Gaspar Becerra (1520-1570), known for his works in the Alcázar of Madrid and the Cathedral of Astorga.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Becerra name gained prominence in various regions of Spain, particularly in Andalusia and Extremadura. One remarkable figure from this period was Alonso de Becerra (1534-1599), a Spanish Jesuit missionary who traveled to Japan and played a significant role in the establishment of Christianity in that country.
In the 18th century, Juan José Becerra (1713-1785) was a renowned Spanish architect and sculptor, best known for his work on the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Palacio de Liria. Another notable figure was Manuel Becerra (1820-1896), a Spanish politician and jurist who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 1870 to 1871.
As the Becerra surname spread across Spain and its territories, it eventually made its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization of the New World. Today, the Becerra name can be found in various Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico, Argentina, and the United States, reflecting the global reach of this historically Spanish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Becerra
Among Census respondents with the surname Becerra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Becerra 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 Becerra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.9% · 29,689
- White5.1% · 1,626
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 96
- Two or more races0.3% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 71
- Black or African American0.2% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Becerra
Becerra 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
#1,051
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,274
+8,806 bearers (+36.0%)
Per 100,000 11.28
Rank movement Up 274 places
2020
#1,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,625
-1,649 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 10.58
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,325 | 24,468 | 9.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,051 | 33,274 | 11.28 | +8,806 bearers (+36.0%) | Up 274 places |
| 2020 | #1,087 | 31,625 | 10.58 | -1,649 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 36 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 Becerra 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 | #1,051 | #1,087 | -3.4% |
| Count | 33,274 | 31,625 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 11.28 | 10.58 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Becerra bearers went from 33,274 to 31,625 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,051 to #1,087.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Becerra
FAQ
Becerra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Becerra?
Name Census estimates that about 36,265 living Americans carry the surname Becerra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,451 residents.
How common is Becerra?
Becerra ranks #1,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,625 people with the surname Becerra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (36,265), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Becerra.
Has Becerra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Becerra went from 33,274 recorded bearers to 31,625. That is a decrease of 1,649 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,051 to #1,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Becerra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Becerra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Becerra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (29,689 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Becerra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.9%), White (5.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Becerra (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 Becerra mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word for "bull" or "cow," likely referring to a cattle herder or rancher. 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 Becerra (10.58 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 Becerra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.