2000
#903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,074
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.00
Uncommon Last name
Cordova
A habitational surname referring to someone from the city of Córdoba, Spain, or a place with a similar name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 50,660 Americans carry the last name Cordova. That puts it at #765 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cordova 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
51K
1 in 6,766
Census rank
#765
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
44K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 44,178 bearers of the surname Cordova in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 765th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordova, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cordova
The surname Cordova has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Andalusia, and can be traced back to the 8th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic name "Qurtuba," which refers to the city of Cordoba, one of the most important cities during the Moorish rule of the Iberian Peninsula.
During the Moorish period, Cordoba was a renowned center of learning and culture, attracting scholars and intellectuals from across the Mediterranean world. The name Cordova likely emerged as a designation for individuals who hailed from this esteemed city or had some connection to it.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Cordova can be found in medieval Spanish documents and manuscripts, particularly those related to the Reconquista, the period of Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. Notable individuals bearing the name Cordova during this time include Fernando de Córdova, a prominent military leader who played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada in the late 15th century.
As the Reconquista progressed and the Iberian Peninsula was gradually unified under Christian rule, the surname Cordova spread to other regions of Spain and beyond. One notable figure was Francisco Fernández de Córdova, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century and served as the first Spanish governor of Nicaragua.
In the 17th century, the surname Cordova found its way to the Americas through Spanish colonization and migration. One prominent individual was Diego de Cordova, a Spanish conquistador who led expeditions to the Bahamas and the Caribbean in the early 1600s.
Later, in the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Antonio María de Córdova, a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the president of Mexico from 1853 to 1855.
Throughout history, the surname Cordova has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, including writers, artists, and intellectuals. One such figure was Luis de Córdova y Aragón, a 16th-century Spanish poet and soldier who fought in the Italian Wars and wrote works that reflected on the themes of love and war.
While the surname Cordova has its roots in Spain and the Moorish influence, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals with the surname Cordova can be found in various countries, carrying on the legacy of this historic name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cordova
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordova, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cordova 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 Cordova surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.6% · 37,811
- White10.5% · 4,618
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 741
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 385
- Two or more races0.8% · 346
- Black or African American0.6% · 277
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cordova
Cordova 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
#762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,305
+10,231 bearers (+29.2%)
Per 100,000 15.36
Rank movement Up 141 places
2020
#765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,178
-1,127 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 14.78
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #903 | 35,074 | 13.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #762 | 45,305 | 15.36 | +10,231 bearers (+29.2%) | Up 141 places |
| 2020 | #765 | 44,178 | 14.78 | -1,127 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 3 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 Cordova 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 | #762 | #765 | -0.4% |
| Count | 45,305 | 44,178 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 15.36 | 14.78 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cordova bearers went from 45,305 to 44,178 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #762 to #765.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cordova
FAQ
Cordova surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cordova?
Name Census estimates that about 50,660 living Americans carry the surname Cordova. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,766 residents.
How common is Cordova?
Cordova ranks #765 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 44,178 people with the surname Cordova. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (50,660), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname Cordova.
Has Cordova become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cordova went from 45,305 recorded bearers to 44,178. That is a decrease of 1,127 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #762 to #765.
What does the Census say about the background of Cordova?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordova, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Cordova in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (37,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cordova appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.6%), White (10.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Cordova (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 Cordova mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from the city of Córdoba, Spain, or a place with a similar name. 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 Cordova (14.78 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 Cordova?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.