2000
#9,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,061
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Cordoba
A locational surname indicating an origin in the Spanish city of Córdoba or the Argentinian province of Córdoba.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,648 Americans carry the last name Cordoba. That puts it at #6,602 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,686 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cordoba 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
5.6K
1 in 60,686
Census rank
#6,602
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,925 bearers of the surname Cordoba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6602nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordoba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cordoba
The surname Cordoba originated in Spain during the time of the Moorish occupation, which began in the 8th century. It is derived from the Arabic name of the city of Córdoba, which was an important cultural and intellectual center during the Islamic caliphate's rule over the Iberian Peninsula. The name Córdoba itself is thought to come from the Latin word "Corduba," which may have been derived from an earlier Iberian language.
Córdoba was a prosperous and influential city during the Middle Ages, and its name became associated with many prominent individuals and families. The surname Cordoba likely first appeared in written records and documents from this period, although the exact earliest recorded instance is unclear. It may have been mentioned in some of the chronicles or manuscripts produced by scholars and writers in the city itself.
One notable early bearer of the surname was Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, a military leader known as "El Gran Capitán" (The Great Captain), who lived from 1453 to 1515. He was renowned for his successful campaigns against the French in Italy and played a significant role in the Spanish wars of the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Another historical figure with the surname Cordoba was Luis de Córdoba y Aragón, a Spanish noble who lived from 1482 to 1516. He was the Duke of Sessa and played a role in the politics and military conflicts of his time.
In the 16th century, there was also Pedro de Córdoba, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He was born around 1490 and died in the mid-1500s.
Moving forward in time, Francisco Fernández de Córdoba y Mendoza, born in 1625, was a Spanish military leader and viceroy of New Spain (now Mexico) from 1696 to 1701.
Another notable bearer of the surname was José de Córdoba y Ramos, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator in the late 18th century. He served as the Governor of Chile from 1786 to 1788.
While these are just a few examples, the surname Cordoba has a rich history rooted in the medieval era of Moorish Spain and has been associated with many influential individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cordoba
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordoba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cordoba 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 Cordoba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.6% · 4,561
- White4.9% · 240
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 53
- Black or African American0.9% · 46
- Two or more races0.4% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cordoba
Cordoba 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
#7,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,744
+1,683 bearers (+55.0%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Up 2,690 places
2020
#6,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,925
+181 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 452 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,744 | 3,061 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,054 | 4,744 | 1.61 | +1,683 bearers (+55.0%) | Up 2,690 places |
| 2020 | #6,602 | 4,925 | 1.65 | +181 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 452 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 Cordoba 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 | #7,054 | #6,602 | 6.4% |
| Count | 4,744 | 4,925 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.65 | 2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cordoba bearers went from 4,744 to 4,925 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 452 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,054 to #6,602.
FAQ
Cordoba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cordoba?
Name Census estimates that about 5,648 living Americans carry the surname Cordoba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,686 residents.
How common is Cordoba?
Cordoba ranks #6,602 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,925 people with the surname Cordoba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,648), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cordoba.
Has Cordoba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cordoba went from 4,744 recorded bearers to 4,925. That is an increase of 181 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,054 to #6,602.
What does the Census say about the background of Cordoba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordoba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Cordoba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (4,561 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cordoba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.6%), White (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Cordoba (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 Cordoba mean?
A locational surname indicating an origin in the Spanish city of Córdoba or the Argentinian province of Córdoba. 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 Cordoba (1.65 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 share the surname Cordoba?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.