2000
#5,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,363
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.36
Uncommon Last name
Moreira
A Portuguese toponymic surname referring to someone from any of several places called Moreira, meaning "sycamore grove."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,303 Americans carry the last name Moreira. That puts it at #3,534 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,324 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moreira 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 Moreira with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,324
Census rank
#3,534
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,857 bearers of the surname Moreira in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3534th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moreira, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.9%. The next largest groups are White (36.5%) and Black (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moreira
The surname MOREIRA has its origins in Portugal, where it first emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Portuguese word "moreira," which refers to a blackberry bush or bramble patch. It likely originated as a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or owned land with an abundance of blackberry bushes or brambles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MOREIRA can be found in the Inquirições de D. Afonso III, a 13th-century document that recorded the names of landowners and their properties in various regions of Portugal. This suggests that the name was already established among Portuguese families by the 13th century.
The MOREIRA surname is particularly prevalent in the northern regions of Portugal, such as the districts of Porto, Braga, and Viana do Castelo. This could indicate that the name originated in these areas, where blackberry bushes and brambles were abundant in the local terrain.
In the 15th century, a notable individual named João MOREIRA was mentioned in historical records as a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Porto. Another figure, Fernão MOREIRA, was a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in the late 15th century.
During the 16th century, the MOREIRA surname gained prominence in Portugal's colonial territories. Álvaro MOREIRA was a Portuguese soldier and explorer who played a significant role in the colonization of Brazil, serving as the founder and first captain-major of the captaincy of São Vicente in the 1530s.
In the 17th century, Diogo MOREIRA was a renowned Portuguese architect who designed several notable churches and buildings in Lisbon and other parts of Portugal. His most famous work is the Baroque-style Igreja de São Roque in Lisbon, completed in the 1680s.
Another notable figure was Manuel MOREIRA, a Portuguese priest and scholar who lived in the 18th century. He authored several works on theology and philosophy and served as a professor at the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Portugal.
As the Portuguese Empire expanded, the MOREIRA surname also spread to other parts of the world, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia. Today, it remains a common surname in Portugal and among Portuguese diaspora communities worldwide, reflecting its deep historical roots and enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moreira
Among Census respondents with the surname Moreira, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.9%. The next largest groups are White (36.5%) and Black (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Moreira 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 Moreira surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino55.9% · 5,506
- White36.5% · 3,595
- Black or African American5.0% · 488
- Two or more races1.4% · 142
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moreira
Moreira 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
#3,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,037
+2,674 bearers (+42.0%)
Per 100,000 3.06
Rank movement Up 1,117 places
2020
#3,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,857
+820 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Up 408 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,059 | 6,363 | 2.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,942 | 9,037 | 3.06 | +2,674 bearers (+42.0%) | Up 1,117 places |
| 2020 | #3,534 | 9,857 | 3.30 | +820 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 408 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 Moreira 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 | #3,942 | #3,534 | 10.4% |
| Count | 9,037 | 9,857 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.06 | 3.30 | 7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moreira bearers went from 9,037 to 9,857 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 408 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,942 to #3,534.
FAQ
Moreira surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moreira?
Name Census estimates that about 11,303 living Americans carry the surname Moreira. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,324 residents.
How common is Moreira?
Moreira ranks #3,534 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,857 people with the surname Moreira. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,303), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Moreira.
Has Moreira become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moreira went from 9,037 recorded bearers to 9,857. That is an increase of 820 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,942 to #3,534.
What does the Census say about the background of Moreira?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moreira, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.9%. The next largest groups are White (36.5%) and Black (5.0%). 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 Moreira in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.9% (5,506 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moreira appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (55.9%), White (36.5%), Black (5.0%). 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 Moreira (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 Moreira mean?
A Portuguese toponymic surname referring to someone from any of several places called Moreira, meaning "sycamore grove." 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 Moreira (3.30 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 are called Moreira?
You can see how common the surname Moreira is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.