2000
#1,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.71
Uncommon Last name
Quezada
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person from the town of Quezada in the province of Jaén, Andalusia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,676 Americans carry the last name Quezada. That puts it at #1,332 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,550 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quezada 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
30K
1 in 11,550
Census rank
#1,332
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,879 bearers of the surname Quezada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1332nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quezada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quezada
The surname Quezada is of Spanish origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "queza," which refers to a type of oak tree or shrub commonly found in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Quezada surname dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various documents and records from the Kingdom of Castile. It is speculated that the name may have originated from a specific location or region where these oak trees were abundant, possibly serving as a distinguishing feature for those who inhabited the area.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Quezada family played a significant role in the Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas. Notable figures include Pedro Quezada, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s, and Juan de Quezada, a Spanish explorer and settler who established one of the first settlements in what is now Texas in the late 1600s.
In the 17th century, the Quezada name appeared in various historical records and documents related to the Spanish colonial administration in the Americas. For instance, Luis de Quezada was a prominent colonial official who served as the governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1653 to 1659.
As the centuries passed, the Quezada surname continued to spread across various regions of the Spanish-speaking world. One notable individual was Miguel de Quezada y Vergara, a Chilean military officer and politician who served as the interim President of Chile from 1891 to 1892.
Other notable figures bearing the Quezada surname include Ernesto Quezada, a Mexican artist and painter known for his works depicting the Mexican Revolution (1876-1957), and Rafael Quezada Riquelme, a Chilean writer and poet who played a significant role in the literary movement known as the "Generation of 1938" (1899-1962).
While the origins of the Quezada surname can be traced back to medieval Spain, it has since become a widespread name across various Spanish-speaking countries, with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions carrying this surname throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quezada
Among Census respondents with the surname Quezada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Quezada 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 Quezada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.4% · 24,680
- White3.6% · 935
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 108
- Black or African American0.3% · 77
- Two or more races0.2% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quezada
Quezada 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
#1,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,752
+7,645 bearers (+42.2%)
Per 100,000 8.73
Rank movement Up 448 places
2020
#1,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,879
+127 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 8.66
Rank movement Up 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,820 | 18,107 | 6.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,372 | 25,752 | 8.73 | +7,645 bearers (+42.2%) | Up 448 places |
| 2020 | #1,332 | 25,879 | 8.66 | +127 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 40 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 Quezada 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 | #1,372 | #1,332 | 2.9% |
| Count | 25,752 | 25,879 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 8.73 | 8.66 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quezada bearers went from 25,752 to 25,879 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,372 to #1,332.
FAQ
Quezada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quezada?
Name Census estimates that about 29,676 living Americans carry the surname Quezada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,550 residents.
How common is Quezada?
Quezada ranks #1,332 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,879 people with the surname Quezada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,676), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Quezada.
Has Quezada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quezada went from 25,752 recorded bearers to 25,879. That is an increase of 127 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,372 to #1,332.
What does the Census say about the background of Quezada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quezada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) 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 Quezada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (24,680 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quezada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.4%), White (3.6%), 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 Quezada (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 Quezada mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person from the town of Quezada in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. 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 Quezada (8.66 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 Quezada?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Quezada on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.