2000
#945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,922
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.57
Uncommon Last name
Lucero
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "lucerna," meaning "lamp" or "light," referring to a lamp maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,279 Americans carry the last name Lucero. That puts it at #885 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,741 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lucero 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
44K
1 in 7,741
Census rank
#885
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,613 bearers of the surname Lucero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 885th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lucero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lucero
The surname Lucero has its origins in Spain, where it emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "lucero," which translates to "morning star" or "Venus." This connection to celestial bodies suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals with a fascination for astronomy or those born under the light of the morning star.
The earliest recorded instances of the Lucero surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. During this time, the name appeared in various historical documents, such as land grants, tax records, and legal proceedings, indicating its widespread use across the Iberian Peninsula.
In the 14th century, the Lucero family gained prominence in the Kingdom of Aragon, where they held positions of authority and influence. One notable figure was Juan Lucero, a respected scholar and diplomat who served as an ambassador to the court of King Alfonso V of Aragon in the early 15th century.
As the Spanish empire expanded across the Atlantic, the Lucero surname traveled with the conquistadors and settlers to the Americas. In the 16th century, Juan Lucero de Godoy, a Spanish explorer and colonist, played a pivotal role in the establishment of the city of Cuzco in Peru, which became an important center of Spanish colonial rule.
During the 17th century, the Lucero surname gained recognition in Mexico, where several individuals bearing this name held significant positions within the Catholic Church. One such figure was Fray Diego Lucero, a Franciscan friar and missionary who dedicated his life to the evangelization of indigenous populations in the northern regions of New Spain (present-day Mexico).
In the 19th century, the Lucero family left its mark in the world of literature with the renowned Spanish writer and poet Tomás Lucero (1818-1891). His works, which often celebrated the beauty of the Spanish countryside and its people, earned him critical acclaim and a place among the notable literary figures of his time.
Over the centuries, the Lucero surname has spread across various regions of the world, carried by individuals of Spanish descent. While its origins can be traced back to Spain, the name has become a part of the cultural tapestry of many nations, reflecting the richness and diversity of the Hispanic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lucero
Among Census respondents with the surname Lucero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lucero 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 Lucero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.2% · 31,344
- White11.5% · 4,458
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 1,198
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 1,125
- Two or more races1.0% · 373
- Black or African American0.3% · 115
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lucero
Lucero 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
#865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,986
+6,064 bearers (+17.9%)
Per 100,000 13.56
Rank movement Up 80 places
2020
#885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,613
-1,373 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 12.92
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #945 | 33,922 | 12.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #865 | 39,986 | 13.56 | +6,064 bearers (+17.9%) | Up 80 places |
| 2020 | #885 | 38,613 | 12.92 | -1,373 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 20 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 Lucero 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 | #865 | #885 | -2.3% |
| Count | 39,986 | 38,613 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 13.56 | 12.92 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lucero bearers went from 39,986 to 38,613 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #865 to #885.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lucero
FAQ
Lucero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lucero?
Name Census estimates that about 44,279 living Americans carry the surname Lucero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,741 residents.
How common is Lucero?
Lucero ranks #885 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,613 people with the surname Lucero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,279), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Lucero.
Has Lucero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lucero went from 39,986 recorded bearers to 38,613. That is a decrease of 1,373 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #865 to #885.
What does the Census say about the background of Lucero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lucero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Lucero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (31,344 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lucero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.2%), White (11.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Lucero (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 Lucero mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "lucerna," meaning "lamp" or "light," referring to a lamp maker. 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 Lucero (12.92 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 Lucero?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.