2000
#3,422
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,572
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.55
Uncommon Last name
Preciado
Derived from the Spanish word meaning "precious," referring to someone who was highly esteemed or valued.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,585 Americans carry the last name Preciado. That puts it at #2,968 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,230 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Preciado 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
14K
1 in 25,230
Census rank
#2,968
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,847 bearers of the surname Preciado in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2968th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Preciado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Preciado
The surname Preciado is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Spanish word "preciado," which translates to "precious" or "highly valued." The name likely emerged during the era of Moorish influence in Spain, reflecting the cultural exchange and blending of Arabic and Romance languages.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Preciado surname can be found in the census records of the Kingdom of Castile from the 14th century. It is believed that the name may have initially referred to individuals engaged in trades involving precious materials or highly skilled craftsmen whose work was held in high esteem.
In the 15th century, the Preciado name appeared in various legal documents and property records in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, indicating the widespread presence of families bearing this surname in southern Spain.
A notable figure with the Preciado surname was Rodrigo Preciado de Córdoba, a renowned poet and writer from Córdoba, Spain, who lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His works, which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, were widely celebrated and contributed to the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
Another prominent individual was María Preciado, a feminist activist and writer from the 18th century. She was a vocal advocate for women's rights and education, and her writings challenged the societal norms of her time, paving the way for future generations of feminist thinkers.
In the realm of art, Juan Preciado (1514-1589) was a celebrated painter from Seville, known for his religious works adorning churches and monasteries throughout Andalusia. His masterpiece, "The Adoration of the Magi," can still be admired at the Cathedral of Seville.
The Preciado surname also found its way to the New World during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One notable figure was Pedro Preciado de la Vega (1548-1618), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led expeditions to present-day Colombia and Venezuela, contributing to the expansion of Spanish territories in the region.
Throughout the centuries, the Preciado surname has continued to be prevalent in various regions of Spain, as well as in Latin American countries with strong Spanish cultural influences, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Peru. While the specific origins of each family line may vary, the name's meaning and historical connections to the Iberian Peninsula remain a common thread.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Preciado
Among Census respondents with the surname Preciado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Preciado 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 Preciado surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.8% · 11,118
- White4.9% · 576
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 48
- Two or more races0.4% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 32
- Black or African American0.2% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Preciado
Preciado 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
#2,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,455
+2,883 bearers (+30.1%)
Per 100,000 4.22
Rank movement Up 539 places
2020
#2,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,847
-608 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.96
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,422 | 9,572 | 3.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,883 | 12,455 | 4.22 | +2,883 bearers (+30.1%) | Up 539 places |
| 2020 | #2,968 | 11,847 | 3.96 | -608 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 85 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 Preciado 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 | #2,883 | #2,968 | -2.9% |
| Count | 12,455 | 11,847 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.22 | 3.96 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Preciado bearers went from 12,455 to 11,847 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,883 to #2,968.
FAQ
Preciado surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Preciado?
Name Census estimates that about 13,585 living Americans carry the surname Preciado. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,230 residents.
How common is Preciado?
Preciado ranks #2,968 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,847 people with the surname Preciado. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,585), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Preciado.
Has Preciado become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Preciado went from 12,455 recorded bearers to 11,847. That is a decrease of 608 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,883 to #2,968.
What does the Census say about the background of Preciado?
Among Census respondents with the surname Preciado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Preciado in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (11,118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Preciado appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.8%), White (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Preciado (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 Preciado mean?
Derived from the Spanish word meaning "precious," referring to someone who was highly esteemed or valued. 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 Preciado (3.96 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 common is the surname Preciado?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Preciado is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.