2000
#1,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,217
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.38
Uncommon Last name
Cuellar
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "collar" or "neck," likely referring to a geographical feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,594 Americans carry the last name Cuellar. That puts it at #1,566 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,392 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cuellar 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
26K
1 in 13,392
Census rank
#1,566
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,319 bearers of the surname Cuellar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1566th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuellar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cuellar
The surname Cuellar originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Castile-Leon. It is derived from the place name Cuellar, a town located in the province of Segovia. The name can be traced back to the 11th century when the area was part of the Kingdom of Castile.
Cuellar was an important medieval town and its name is believed to come from the Latin word "collis," meaning hill or elevation, referring to the town's location on a hilltop. The earliest known mention of the town's name dates back to a document from 1088.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cuellar can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census of noble landholdings in Castile, compiled between 1352 and 1354. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Cuellar, indicating that the name was already well-established by that time.
In the 15th century, Juan de Cuellar (c. 1430-1492) was a prominent Spanish nobleman and military commander who served under King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. He played a significant role in the conquest of Granada, the last Muslim-ruled territory in the Iberian Peninsula.
During the 16th century, Francisco de Cuellar (c. 1510-1587) was a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied the expeditions of Hernando de Soto and Hernando de Alarcón in their exploration of the southern regions of what is now the United States.
Another notable figure was Pedro de Cuellar (c. 1550-1628), a Spanish architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in Seville, including the Casa de Contratación, which served as the administrative headquarters for Spain's trade with the Americas.
In the 18th century, José de Cuellar (1717-1801) was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1776 to 1783.
Throughout history, the surname Cuellar has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, military leaders, explorers, architects, and colonial administrators, reflecting the diverse contributions of those bearing this name to Spanish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cuellar
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuellar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cuellar 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 Cuellar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.3% · 20,375
- White7.2% · 1,596
- Black or African American0.4% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 96
- Two or more races0.4% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 66
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cuellar
Cuellar 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
#1,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,324
+5,107 bearers (+29.7%)
Per 100,000 7.57
Rank movement Up 308 places
2020
#1,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,319
-5 bearers (-0.0%)
Per 100,000 7.47
Rank movement Up 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,917 | 17,217 | 6.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,609 | 22,324 | 7.57 | +5,107 bearers (+29.7%) | Up 308 places |
| 2020 | #1,566 | 22,319 | 7.47 | -5 bearers (-0.0%) | Up 43 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 Cuellar 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 | #1,609 | #1,566 | 2.7% |
| Count | 22,324 | 22,319 | -0.0% |
| Per 100K | 7.57 | 7.47 | -1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cuellar bearers went from 22,324 to 22,319 (+-0.0% change). The surname moved up 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,609 to #1,566.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cuellar
FAQ
Cuellar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cuellar?
Name Census estimates that about 25,594 living Americans carry the surname Cuellar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,392 residents.
How common is Cuellar?
Cuellar ranks #1,566 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,319 people with the surname Cuellar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Cuellar.
Has Cuellar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cuellar went from 22,324 recorded bearers to 22,319. That is a decrease of 5 (-0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,609 to #1,566.
What does the Census say about the background of Cuellar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuellar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (0.4%). 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 Cuellar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (20,375 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cuellar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.3%), White (7.2%), Black (0.4%). 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 Cuellar (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 Cuellar mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "collar" or "neck," likely referring to a geographical feature. 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 Cuellar (7.47 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 Cuellar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.