2000
#5,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,469
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.03
Rare Last name
Posada
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone who lived near an inn or resting place for travelers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,561 Americans carry the last name Posada. That puts it at #4,612 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Posada 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
8.6K
1 in 40,037
Census rank
#4,612
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,466 bearers of the surname Posada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4612th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Posada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Posada
The surname Posada is of Spanish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Spanish word "posada," which means an inn or a place to stay. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Posada surname was Rodrigo de Posada, a nobleman from the Kingdom of Castile who lived in the late 13th century. He was mentioned in several historical documents from that era, including land grants and legal proceedings.
In the 15th century, the Posada family gained prominence in the city of Córdoba, where they owned several inns and properties. Juan de Posada, a wealthy merchant and innkeeper, was a significant figure in the city's commercial affairs during that time.
The Posada surname also appeared in historical records from the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One notable figure was Juan Rodríguez de Posada, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Cuba in the early 16th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several members of the Posada family held positions of influence in the Spanish colonial administration in various parts of the Americas, including Mexico and Peru.
The Posada surname is also associated with artistic and literary figures. José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), a Mexican printmaker and illustrator, is widely recognized for his calavera (skull) illustrations, which played a significant role in the Mexican cultural tradition of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Another notable bearer of the Posada surname was Pedro de Posada (1670-1745), a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and contributions to the Baroque style in Spain.
Gaspar de Posada (1625-1703) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled extensively in South America, contributing to the mapping and exploration of the Amazon basin.
Tomás Posada (1887-1965) was a prominent Colombian lawyer and politician who served as the President of Colombia from 1942 to 1944.
Throughout history, the Posada surname has been present in various regions of Spain, as well as in countries with significant Spanish influence, such as Mexico, Colombia, and other parts of Latin America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Posada
Among Census respondents with the surname Posada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Posada 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 Posada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.6% · 6,985
- White5.0% · 375
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 44
- Black or African American0.4% · 27
- Two or more races0.3% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Posada
Posada 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
#4,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,454
+1,985 bearers (+36.3%)
Per 100,000 2.53
Rank movement Up 1,038 places
2020
#4,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,466
+12 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Up 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,789 | 5,469 | 2.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,751 | 7,454 | 2.53 | +1,985 bearers (+36.3%) | Up 1,038 places |
| 2020 | #4,612 | 7,466 | 2.50 | +12 bearers (+0.2%) | Up 139 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 Posada 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 | #4,751 | #4,612 | 2.9% |
| Count | 7,454 | 7,466 | 0.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.53 | 2.50 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Posada bearers went from 7,454 to 7,466 (+0.2% change). The surname moved up 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,751 to #4,612.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Posada
FAQ
Posada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Posada?
Name Census estimates that about 8,561 living Americans carry the surname Posada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,037 residents.
How common is Posada?
Posada ranks #4,612 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,466 people with the surname Posada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,561), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Posada.
Has Posada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Posada went from 7,454 recorded bearers to 7,466. That is an increase of 12 (+0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,751 to #4,612.
What does the Census say about the background of Posada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Posada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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 Posada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (6,985 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Posada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.6%), White (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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 Posada (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 Posada mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone who lived near an inn or resting place for travelers. 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 Posada (2.50 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 Posada?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.