2000
#1,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,824
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.24
Uncommon Last name
Hidalgo
A Spanish surname denoting a person of noble birth, though not part of the titled nobility.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,282 Americans carry the last name Hidalgo. That puts it at #1,459 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,563 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
27K
1 in 12,563
Census rank
#1,459
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,791 bearers of the surname Hidalgo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1459th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hidalgo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hidalgo
The surname Hidalgo originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "hidalgo," which initially referred to a member of the lower nobility or gentry. The word itself likely derives from the Spanish "hijo de algo," meaning "son of something," implying a person of some distinction or worthy lineage.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript that details hunting activities during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. The name appears in reference to various individuals who participated in royal hunting parties.
In the 15th century, the Hidalgo name was associated with several notable figures, including Diego Hidalgo, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. Another prominent individual was Juan Hidalgo, a painter from Seville who produced works for various churches and monasteries in the region.
The 16th century saw the rise of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), a Catholic priest who is revered as the father of Mexican independence. His famous "Grito de Dolores" in 1810 marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence against Spain.
In the realm of literature, Juan Hidalgo de Polanco (1614-1685) was a Spanish poet and playwright known for his works in the "conceptista" style, which was popular during the Spanish Golden Age.
Another notable figure was José Hidalgo y Barrientos (1752-1823), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the last Spanish governor of Puerto Rico from 1820 to 1823.
Throughout history, the Hidalgo surname has been associated with various place names and regions within Spain, such as Hidalgo de la Vega in Castile and León, and Hidalgo de Cisneros in Castile-La Mancha, reflecting the name's noble origins and geographic distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hidalgo
Among Census respondents with the surname Hidalgo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.9% · 20,432
- White8.6% · 2,039
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 983
- Two or more races0.7% · 158
- Black or African American0.5% · 126
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hidalgo
Hidalgo 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
#1,556
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,134
+6,310 bearers (+37.5%)
Per 100,000 7.84
Rank movement Up 411 places
2020
#1,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,791
+657 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 7.96
Rank movement Up 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,967 | 16,824 | 6.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,556 | 23,134 | 7.84 | +6,310 bearers (+37.5%) | Up 411 places |
| 2020 | #1,459 | 23,791 | 7.96 | +657 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 97 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 Hidalgo 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 | #1,556 | #1,459 | 6.2% |
| Count | 23,134 | 23,791 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 7.84 | 7.96 | 1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hidalgo bearers went from 23,134 to 23,791 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,556 to #1,459.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hidalgo
FAQ
Hidalgo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hidalgo?
Name Census estimates that about 27,282 living Americans carry the surname Hidalgo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,563 residents.
How common is Hidalgo?
Hidalgo ranks #1,459 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,791 people with the surname Hidalgo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Hidalgo.
Has Hidalgo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hidalgo went from 23,134 recorded bearers to 23,791. That is an increase of 657 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,556 to #1,459.
What does the Census say about the background of Hidalgo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hidalgo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%). 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 Hidalgo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (20,432 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hidalgo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.9%), White (8.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%). 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 Hidalgo (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 Hidalgo mean?
A Spanish surname denoting a person of noble birth, though not part of the titled nobility. 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 Hidalgo (7.96 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 Americans have the surname Hidalgo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.