2000
#6,633
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,703
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.74
Rare Last name
Encarnacion
A Spanish surname referring to the religious concept of incarnation, particularly the embodiment of God in human form.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,173 Americans carry the last name Encarnacion. That puts it at #4,291 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,366 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Encarnacion 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
9.2K
1 in 37,366
Census rank
#4,291
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,999 bearers of the surname Encarnacion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4291st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Encarnacion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%) and White (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Encarnacion
The surname Encarnacion originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "encarnación," which means "incarnation," referring to the Christian belief in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals closely associated with religious institutions or those who held strong religious beliefs.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Encarnacion can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Spain, such as Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. It is believed that the name may have been given to individuals born around the time of Christmas or the Feast of the Incarnation, which is celebrated on March 25th.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Encarnacion surname was Pedro de la Encarnacion, a Spanish friar who lived in the 16th century. He was renowned for his religious writings and his work in the Catholic Church.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the baptismal records of the Cathedral of Seville, where several individuals with the surname Encarnacion were recorded.
During the 18th century, the Encarnacion name gained prominence in Spanish colonial territories, particularly in the Americas. Notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Fray José de la Encarnación (1665-1734), a Spanish missionary and explorer who traveled extensively in Mexico and the southwestern United States.
2. María de la Encarnación (1732-1803), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Order of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.
As the Spanish empire expanded, the Encarnacion surname spread to various regions of the Americas, particularly Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the Encarnacion surname gained recognition in various fields:
1. Manuel de la Encarnación (1804-1878), a Mexican painter and sculptor known for his religious works.
2. Juana de la Encarnación (1825-1892), a Peruvian poet and educator who contributed to the literary movement of her time.
3. Emilio de la Encarnación (1847-1905), a Cuban writer and journalist who played a role in the fight for Cuban independence.
Throughout the 20th century, the Encarnacion surname continued to be prominent, with individuals making contributions in various fields, such as politics, arts, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Encarnacion
Among Census respondents with the surname Encarnacion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%) and White (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Encarnacion 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 Encarnacion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.2% · 6,417
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.2% · 1,053
- White3.2% · 258
- Black or African American2.2% · 172
- Two or more races1.1% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Encarnacion
Encarnacion 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
#4,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,171
+2,468 bearers (+52.5%)
Per 100,000 2.43
Rank movement Up 1,724 places
2020
#4,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,999
+828 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 2.68
Rank movement Up 618 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,633 | 4,703 | 1.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,909 | 7,171 | 2.43 | +2,468 bearers (+52.5%) | Up 1,724 places |
| 2020 | #4,291 | 7,999 | 2.68 | +828 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 618 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 Encarnacion 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 | #4,909 | #4,291 | 12.6% |
| Count | 7,171 | 7,999 | 11.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.43 | 2.68 | 10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Encarnacion bearers went from 7,171 to 7,999 (+11.5% change). The surname moved up 618 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,909 to #4,291.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Encarnacion
FAQ
Encarnacion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Encarnacion?
Name Census estimates that about 9,173 living Americans carry the surname Encarnacion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,366 residents.
How common is Encarnacion?
Encarnacion ranks #4,291 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,999 people with the surname Encarnacion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Encarnacion.
Has Encarnacion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Encarnacion went from 7,171 recorded bearers to 7,999. That is an increase of 828 (+11.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,909 to #4,291.
What does the Census say about the background of Encarnacion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Encarnacion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%) and White (3.2%). 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 Encarnacion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (6,417 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Encarnacion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%), White (3.2%). 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 Encarnacion (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 Encarnacion mean?
A Spanish surname referring to the religious concept of incarnation, particularly the embodiment of God in human form. 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 Encarnacion (2.68 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 common is the surname Encarnacion?
You can see how common the surname Encarnacion is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.