2000
#723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,955
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.92
Uncommon Last name
Escobar
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person from a place abundant in broom shrubs or a broomy place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 78,505 Americans carry the last name Escobar. That puts it at #476 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 22.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,366 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Escobar 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 Escobar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
79K
1 in 4,366
Census rank
#476
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
22.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
68K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 68,460 bearers of the surname Escobar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 22.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 476th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Escobar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Escobar
The surname Escobar originated in Spain and traces its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "escoba," meaning "broom," and likely referred to an occupation or a place name associated with the manufacturing or selling of brooms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Escobar surname can be found in the Cartulario de San Cugat del Vallés, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of Sant Cugat in Catalonia, dating back to the 11th century.
During the 13th century, the Escobar name appeared in various records in the region of Andalusia, particularly in the city of Seville. It is believed that the name may have originated from the village of Escobar, located in the province of Cáceres, in the Extremadura region of western Spain.
In the 15th century, the Escobar family played a prominent role in the conquest and colonization of the Americas. Diego de Escobar, born around 1460, was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Puerto Rico and Cuba alongside Juan Ponce de León.
Another notable figure with the Escobar surname was Antonio de Escobar y Mendoza, a Jesuit priest and moral theologian born in Valladolid in 1589. He authored several influential works on moral theology and casuistry, including the "Liber Theologiae Moralis" (Book of Moral Theology).
During the Spanish Golden Age, the Escobar name was also associated with the arts. Miguel de Cervantes, the renowned author of "Don Quixote," mentioned a character named Escobar in one of his works, "La ilustre fregona" (The Illustrious Kitchen-maid).
In the 19th century, José Ramón Escobar y Escobar, a Chilean politician and diplomat, played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the establishment of the border between Chile and Argentina in the Patagonia region.
Another notable figure with the Escobar surname was Andrés Escobar, a Colombian professional footballer who represented his country in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Tragically, he was murdered in 1994 after scoring an own goal in that tournament.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Escobar
Among Census respondents with the surname Escobar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Escobar 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 Escobar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.2% · 63,117
- White5.3% · 3,622
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 1,029
- Black or African American0.5% · 344
- Two or more races0.3% · 222
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 126
Timeline
Historical Census data for Escobar
Escobar 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
#520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 64,403
+21,448 bearers (+49.9%)
Per 100,000 21.83
Rank movement Up 203 places
2020
#476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 68,460
+4,057 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 22.90
Rank movement Up 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #723 | 42,955 | 15.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #520 | 64,403 | 21.83 | +21,448 bearers (+49.9%) | Up 203 places |
| 2020 | #476 | 68,460 | 22.90 | +4,057 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 44 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 Escobar 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 | #520 | #476 | 8.5% |
| Count | 64,403 | 68,460 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 21.83 | 22.90 | 4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Escobar bearers went from 64,403 to 68,460 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #520 to #476.
FAQ
Escobar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Escobar?
Name Census estimates that about 78,505 living Americans carry the surname Escobar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,366 residents.
How common is Escobar?
Escobar ranks #476 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 22.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 23 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 68,460 people with the surname Escobar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (78,505), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 22.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 22.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 23 of them to have the surname Escobar.
Has Escobar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Escobar went from 64,403 recorded bearers to 68,460. That is an increase of 4,057 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #520 to #476.
What does the Census say about the background of Escobar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Escobar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Escobar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (63,117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Escobar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.2%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Escobar (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 Escobar mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person from a place abundant in broom shrubs or a broomy place. 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 Escobar (22.90 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 last name Escobar?
Find out how many people are called Escobar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.