2000
#345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 81,805
First available Census row
Per 100,000 30.32
Common Last name
Padilla
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the various places named Padilla in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119,649 Americans carry the last name Padilla. That puts it at #295 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 34.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Padilla 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 Padilla with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120K
1 in 2,865
Census rank
#295
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
34.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104,340 bearers of the surname Padilla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 34.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 295th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Padilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Padilla
The surname Padilla originated in Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "padilla," which means "a small meadow or field." The name has its roots in the Castilian region of Spain, where it first emerged in the 10th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the Padilla surname can be found in medieval Spanish documents, such as the Becerro de Behetrías, a census-like record of landowners and their properties compiled in the late 14th century. The name is believed to have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or owned small meadows or fields.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the Padilla surname was Juan de Padilla (1490-1521), a Spanish nobleman and leader of the Comuneros Revolt against the imperial forces of King Charles V. He was ultimately captured and executed for his role in the uprising.
Another prominent individual with the Padilla surname was Tomás de Padilla (1555-1633), a Spanish Jesuit missionary who worked extensively in South America, particularly in present-day Peru and Bolivia. He is credited with establishing several missions and contributing to the spread of Christianity in the region.
In the realm of literature, the Spanish novelist and playwright Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580-1645) was born with the maternal surname Padilla. He is considered one of the most prominent figures of the Spanish Golden Age and is renowned for his satirical works and poetry.
Moving to the 19th century, José María Padilla (1889-1959) was a renowned Spanish composer and conductor, best known for his zarzuelas (Spanish operettas) and other works that celebrated the musical traditions of Spain.
In more recent times, the Mexican-American singer and actress Lila Downs (born Ana Gabriela Guadalupe Orozco Padilla in 1968) has gained international recognition for her fusion of traditional Mexican music with various other genres, earning multiple Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy Awards.
While the Padilla surname has its origins in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America and the United States, where it continues to be a prominent surname among individuals of Hispanic descent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Padilla
Among Census respondents with the surname Padilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Padilla 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 Padilla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.2% · 93,112
- White6.5% · 6,781
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 2,461
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 909
- Two or more races0.6% · 633
- Black or African American0.4% · 444
Timeline
Historical Census data for Padilla
Padilla 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
#293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105,365
+23,560 bearers (+28.8%)
Per 100,000 35.72
Rank movement Up 52 places
2020
#295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104,340
-1,025 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 34.91
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #345 | 81,805 | 30.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #293 | 105,365 | 35.72 | +23,560 bearers (+28.8%) | Up 52 places |
| 2020 | #295 | 104,340 | 34.91 | -1,025 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 2 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 Padilla 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 | #293 | #295 | -0.7% |
| Count | 105,365 | 104,340 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 35.72 | 34.91 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Padilla bearers went from 105,365 to 104,340 (-1.0% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #293 to #295.
FAQ
Padilla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Padilla?
Name Census estimates that about 119,649 living Americans carry the surname Padilla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,865 residents.
How common is Padilla?
Padilla ranks #295 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 34.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 35 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104,340 people with the surname Padilla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119,649), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 34.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 34.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 35 of them to have the surname Padilla.
Has Padilla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Padilla went from 105,365 recorded bearers to 104,340. That is a decrease of 1,025 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #293 to #295.
What does the Census say about the background of Padilla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Padilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Padilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (93,112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Padilla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.2%), White (6.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Padilla (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 Padilla mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the various places named Padilla in Spain. 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 Padilla (34.91 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 Padilla?
Want to know how common the surname Padilla is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.