2000
#282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98,675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 36.58
Common Last name
Delgado
A Spanish surname derived from the word "delgado," meaning slim or slender, likely referring to a person's physical appearance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147,890 Americans carry the last name Delgado. That puts it at #227 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 43.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Delgado 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Delgado with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
148K
1 in 2,318
Census rank
#227
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
43.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
129K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128,967 bearers of the surname Delgado in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 43.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 227th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Delgado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Delgado
The surname Delgado has its origins in Spain, specifically in the regions of Castile and Andalusia. It is derived from the Spanish word "delgado," which means "thin" or "slender." The surname likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a slender build.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Delgado can be traced back to the 13th century in various Spanish records and manuscripts. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from 1253 that recorded the distribution of land and properties in Seville after the Christian conquest of the city.
In the 15th century, the Delgado surname gained prominence with the birth of Rodrigo Delgado (1440-1515), a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian. Rodrigo was a renowned scholar and professor at the University of Salamanca, and his works on theology and philosophy were highly influential during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure with the Delgado surname was Juan Delgado (1548-1611), a Spanish Catholic priest and missionary who traveled to the Philippines in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in the Philippine archipelago and contributed to the establishment of the Catholic Church in the region.
In the 17th century, the Delgado surname was associated with Pedro Delgado (1625-1694), a Spanish painter and engraver known for his contributions to the Baroque art movement. His works, which included religious paintings and engravings, can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
During the 18th century, José Delgado y Venegas (1720-1798) was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the governor of Cuba from 1777 to 1785 and played a crucial role in the defense of the island during the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout history, the Delgado surname has also been associated with various locations and place names. For instance, the town of Delgado in the Extremadura region of Spain is believed to have derived its name from the surname. Additionally, there are villages and municipalities bearing the name Delgado in other Spanish-speaking countries, such as Mexico and Colombia, likely influenced by the migration of individuals with this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Delgado
Among Census respondents with the surname Delgado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Delgado 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 Delgado surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.6% · 118,116
- White6.0% · 7,714
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1,260
- Black or African American0.8% · 1,093
- Two or more races0.4% · 529
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 255
Timeline
Historical Census data for Delgado
Delgado 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
#221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132,985
+34,310 bearers (+34.8%)
Per 100,000 45.08
Rank movement Up 61 places
2020
#227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128,967
-4,018 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 43.15
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #282 | 98,675 | 36.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #221 | 132,985 | 45.08 | +34,310 bearers (+34.8%) | Up 61 places |
| 2020 | #227 | 128,967 | 43.15 | -4,018 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 6 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 Delgado 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 | #221 | #227 | -2.7% |
| Count | 132,985 | 128,967 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 45.08 | 43.15 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Delgado bearers went from 132,985 to 128,967 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #221 to #227.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Delgado
FAQ
Delgado surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Delgado?
Name Census estimates that about 147,890 living Americans carry the surname Delgado. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,318 residents.
How common is Delgado?
Delgado ranks #227 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 43.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 43 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 128,967 people with the surname Delgado. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147,890), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 43.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 43.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 43 of them to have the surname Delgado.
Has Delgado become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Delgado went from 132,985 recorded bearers to 128,967. That is a decrease of 4,018 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #221 to #227.
What does the Census say about the background of Delgado?
Among Census respondents with the surname Delgado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Delgado in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (118,116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Delgado appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.6%), White (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Delgado (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 Delgado mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "delgado," meaning slim or slender, likely referring to a person's physical appearance. 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 Delgado (43.15 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 Delgado?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.