2000
#437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 67,646
First available Census row
Per 100,000 25.08
Common Last name
Miranda
A surname of Spanish origin, meaning "to be marveled at" or "to be admired," derived from the Latin "mirandus."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 106,878 Americans carry the last name Miranda. That puts it at #330 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 31.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Miranda 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 Miranda with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
107K
1 in 3,207
Census rank
#330
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
31.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
93K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 93,203 bearers of the surname Miranda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 31.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 330th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Miranda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Miranda
The surname Miranda has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word 'mirandus', which means admirable or wonderful. The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was regarded as admirable or noteworthy in some way.
Miranda is also the name of a town in northern Portugal, near the border with Spain. It is possible that the surname initially arose as a locative name, indicating someone who came from or lived in the town of Miranda. Variations in spelling over the centuries have included Mirandes, Mirando, and Mirandés.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Miranda surname can be found in the Rolls of Battell Abbey, a medieval manuscript dating back to the late 13th century. This document lists a Hugo de Miranda among the residents of Sussex, England.
In the 15th century, a prominent Spanish family bearing the Miranda name held significant influence and power in the region of Asturias. One notable member was Pedro de Miranda (1443-1508), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as Governor of the Canary Islands.
During the Age of Exploration, the Miranda name spread to the Americas and other parts of the world as Spanish and Portuguese explorers, settlers, and conquistadors established colonies and territories. One such individual was Francisco de Miranda (1750-1816), a Venezuelan revolutionary and precursor to the independence movements in Latin America.
In Italy, the Miranda family held aristocratic status, with members such as Gian Girolamo Miranda (1569-1642), an Italian painter and architect active in Naples during the Baroque period. Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Francisco de Miranda y Paz (1644-1723), a Spanish architect and sculptor who worked in Mexico during the colonial era.
Other historical figures with the Miranda surname include Gonzalo de Miranda (1514-1597), a Spanish military officer and author, and Tomás de Miranda (1737-1816), a Spanish diplomat and writer who served as ambassador to various European courts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Miranda
Among Census respondents with the surname Miranda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Miranda 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 Miranda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.7% · 75,236
- White11.5% · 10,680
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.8% · 4,447
- Black or African American1.6% · 1,518
- Two or more races1.0% · 964
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 358
Timeline
Historical Census data for Miranda
Miranda 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
#330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 93,628
+25,982 bearers (+38.4%)
Per 100,000 31.74
Rank movement Up 107 places
2020
#330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 93,203
-425 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 31.18
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #437 | 67,646 | 25.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #330 | 93,628 | 31.74 | +25,982 bearers (+38.4%) | Up 107 places |
| 2020 | #330 | 93,203 | 31.18 | -425 bearers (-0.5%) | No rank change |
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 Miranda 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 | #330 | #330 | 0.0% |
| Count | 93,628 | 93,203 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 31.74 | 31.18 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Miranda bearers went from 93,628 to 93,203 (-0.5% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #330.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Miranda
FAQ
Miranda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Miranda?
Name Census estimates that about 106,878 living Americans carry the surname Miranda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,207 residents.
How common is Miranda?
Miranda ranks #330 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 31.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 31 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 93,203 people with the surname Miranda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (106,878), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 31.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 31.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 31 of them to have the surname Miranda.
Has Miranda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Miranda went from 93,628 recorded bearers to 93,203. That is a decrease of 425 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it stayed at #330.
What does the Census say about the background of Miranda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Miranda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Miranda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (75,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Miranda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.7%), White (11.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Miranda (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 Miranda mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, meaning "to be marveled at" or "to be admired," derived from the Latin "mirandus." 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 Miranda (31.18 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 surname Miranda?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.