2000
#360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 79,322
First available Census row
Per 100,000 29.40
Common Last name
Espinoza
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a thorny place or a bramble patch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123,882 Americans carry the last name Espinoza. That puts it at #285 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 36.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,767 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Espinoza 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 Espinoza with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
124K
1 in 2,767
Census rank
#285
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
36.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108,031 bearers of the surname Espinoza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 36.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 285th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Espinoza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Espinoza
The surname ESPINOZA has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish words "espina," meaning thorn or spike, and "oza," a diminutive suffix, suggesting a connection to a thorny or prickly place.
The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in historical documents from the regions of Castile and Andalusia in southern Spain. It is believed that the name initially referred to individuals who lived near or were associated with areas characterized by thorny vegetation or bushes.
During the era of Spanish exploration and colonization in the 16th and 17th centuries, the ESPINOZA surname spread across the Americas, particularly in Mexico and various regions of Central and South America. This dissemination was likely facilitated by Spanish conquistadors, settlers, and immigrants who carried the name to these new territories.
One notable historical figure bearing the ESPINOZA surname was Gaspar de Espinoza, a Spanish conquistador and explorer born in the late 15th century. He participated in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés and was granted encomiendas (land grants) in the region of Puebla.
Another prominent individual was Jerónimo de Espinoza, a Spanish military officer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage in the early 16th century. He played a crucial role in the expedition after Magellan's death and helped navigate the remaining ships back to Spain.
In the realm of literature, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the renowned author of "Don Quixote," included a character named Pedro Espinoza in his novel "La Gitanilla" (The Little Gypsy Girl), published in 1613.
During the colonial era in Latin America, the ESPINOZA surname was associated with several notable figures, such as Juan Espinoza de los Monteros, a Spanish-born landowner and encomendero who settled in Peru in the 16th century and held significant influence in the region.
Another individual of note was Sebastián Espinoza, a Chilean military officer and patriot who fought in the Chilean War of Independence against Spanish rule in the early 19th century. He played a pivotal role in several battles and is celebrated as a national hero in Chile.
Throughout its history, the ESPINOZA surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, such as Espinosa, Espinoza, Espinosa, and Espinoza, reflecting regional linguistic influences and adaptations over time. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, rooted in the thorny or prickly vegetation of its Spanish birthplace.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Espinoza
Among Census respondents with the surname Espinoza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Espinoza 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 Espinoza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.0% · 101,550
- White4.5% · 4,859
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 529
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 393
- Black or African American0.3% · 368
- Two or more races0.3% · 332
Timeline
Historical Census data for Espinoza
Espinoza 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
#271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112,154
+32,832 bearers (+41.4%)
Per 100,000 38.02
Rank movement Up 89 places
2020
#285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108,031
-4,123 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 36.14
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #360 | 79,322 | 29.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #271 | 112,154 | 38.02 | +32,832 bearers (+41.4%) | Up 89 places |
| 2020 | #285 | 108,031 | 36.14 | -4,123 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14 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 Espinoza 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 | #271 | #285 | -5.2% |
| Count | 112,154 | 108,031 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 38.02 | 36.14 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Espinoza bearers went from 112,154 to 108,031 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #271 to #285.
FAQ
Espinoza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Espinoza?
Name Census estimates that about 123,882 living Americans carry the surname Espinoza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,767 residents.
How common is Espinoza?
Espinoza ranks #285 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 36.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 36 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108,031 people with the surname Espinoza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123,882), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 36.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 36.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 36 of them to have the surname Espinoza.
Has Espinoza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Espinoza went from 112,154 recorded bearers to 108,031. That is a decrease of 4,123 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #271 to #285.
What does the Census say about the background of Espinoza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Espinoza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Espinoza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (101,550 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Espinoza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.0%), White (4.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Espinoza (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 Espinoza mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a thorny place or a bramble patch. 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 Espinoza (36.14 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 Espinoza?
Want to know how common the surname Espinoza is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.