2000
#3,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,544
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.17
Uncommon Last name
Cepeda
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Cepeda, meaning "a forest of cedar trees."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,185 Americans carry the last name Cepeda. That puts it at #2,834 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cepeda 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
14K
1 in 24,163
Census rank
#2,834
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,370 bearers of the surname Cepeda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2834th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cepeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cepeda
The surname Cepeda has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "cepa," meaning "vine stock" or "grapevine." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with vineyards or wine-making.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Cepeda surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrias, a medieval census document from the 14th century. It lists individuals with the surname Cepeda residing in the region of Castile, indicating that the name was already established in that area during that time.
The Cepeda surname is also believed to have ties to the town of Cepeda, located in the province of Salamanca, Spain. Some historians suggest that the name may have originated as a toponym, referring to individuals who hailed from or resided in this particular town.
In the 16th century, notable individuals with the Cepeda surname included Juan de la Cepeda (1495-1543), a Spanish theologian and writer, and María de Cepeda y Ahumada (1515-1582), better known as St. Teresa of Avila, a renowned Carmelite nun, mystic, and writer.
Another prominent figure was Diego de Cepeda y Ahumada (1510-1579), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala and served as the first governor of Nueva Vizcaya (present-day northern Mexico).
In the 17th century, Francisco de Cepeda y Figueroa (1592-1660) was a Spanish playwright and poet who contributed to the Spanish Golden Age of literature.
Moving to the 18th century, José Cepeda y Castro (1734-1804) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Montevideo, Uruguay, and later as the viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Cepeda surname who have left their mark throughout history, highlighting the widespread and longstanding presence of this name across various regions and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cepeda
Among Census respondents with the surname Cepeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Cepeda 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 Cepeda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.4% · 11,063
- White4.2% · 524
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 515
- Two or more races1.1% · 134
- Black or African American1.0% · 126
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cepeda
Cepeda 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
#3,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,572
+3,028 bearers (+35.4%)
Per 100,000 3.92
Rank movement Up 698 places
2020
#2,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,370
+798 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 4.14
Rank movement Up 278 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,810 | 8,544 | 3.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,112 | 11,572 | 3.92 | +3,028 bearers (+35.4%) | Up 698 places |
| 2020 | #2,834 | 12,370 | 4.14 | +798 bearers (+6.9%) | Up 278 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 Cepeda 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 | #3,112 | #2,834 | 8.9% |
| Count | 11,572 | 12,370 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.92 | 4.14 | 5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cepeda bearers went from 11,572 to 12,370 (+6.9% change). The surname moved up 278 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,112 to #2,834.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cepeda
FAQ
Cepeda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cepeda?
Name Census estimates that about 14,185 living Americans carry the surname Cepeda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,163 residents.
How common is Cepeda?
Cepeda ranks #2,834 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,370 people with the surname Cepeda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,185), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Cepeda.
Has Cepeda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cepeda went from 11,572 recorded bearers to 12,370. That is an increase of 798 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,112 to #2,834.
What does the Census say about the background of Cepeda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cepeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Cepeda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (11,063 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cepeda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.4%), White (4.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Cepeda (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 Cepeda mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Cepeda, meaning "a forest of cedar trees." 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 Cepeda (4.14 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 Cepeda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.