2000
#1,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.41
Uncommon Last name
Saldana
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Saldaña, derived from the Castilian word "saldaña" meaning "plum tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 37,921 Americans carry the last name Saldana. That puts it at #1,044 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,039 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saldana 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
38K
1 in 9,039
Census rank
#1,044
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
33K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,069 bearers of the surname Saldana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1044th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saldana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saldana
The surname Saldana is of Spanish origin, deriving from the place name Saldaña, a town in the province of Palencia in northern Spain. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century during the Reconquista, the period when Christian forces sought to reclaim territories from the Moors.
The town of Saldaña was an important strategic location during this time, and it is likely that the surname was initially adopted by individuals who hailed from or had connections to this area. The name is thought to be derived from the Latin word "saltus," meaning a forest or wooded area, suggesting that the town was situated in a forested region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Saldana surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document compiled in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document lists several individuals bearing the Saldana surname, indicating the name's established presence in the region by that time.
During the 15th century, the Saldana family played a significant role in the Spanish court. Diego Gómez de Sandoval, Count of Saldaña, born in 1385 and died in 1455, was a prominent nobleman and military leader who served under King Juan II of Castile. His descendants continued to hold influential positions in the Spanish nobility for several generations.
Another notable figure with the Saldana surname was Rodrigo de Saldaña, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Saldaña played a pivotal role in several battles against the Aztec forces and was later granted encomiendas (land grants) in recognition of his service.
In the realm of literature, the 16th-century Spanish poet and playwright Diego de Saldaña is remembered for his contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works, which included plays and poetry, were highly regarded during his lifetime and helped to establish the Saldana name in the cultural sphere.
Moving forward to the 19th century, José María Saldaña y Sicilia, born in 1840 and died in 1905, was a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and later as the President of the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish parliament.
Throughout its history, the Saldana surname has been associated with various notable individuals, reflecting its deep roots in Spanish culture and society. While its origins can be traced back to a specific town in northern Spain, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by the descendants of those who bore it during the tumultuous eras of Spain's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saldana
Among Census respondents with the surname Saldana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Saldana 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 Saldana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.8% · 30,342
- White5.5% · 1,830
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 504
- Black or African American0.6% · 199
- Two or more races0.4% · 129
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saldana
Saldana 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
#1,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,434
+9,048 bearers (+35.6%)
Per 100,000 11.67
Rank movement Up 258 places
2020
#1,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,069
-1,365 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 11.06
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,273 | 25,386 | 9.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,015 | 34,434 | 11.67 | +9,048 bearers (+35.6%) | Up 258 places |
| 2020 | #1,044 | 33,069 | 11.06 | -1,365 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 29 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 Saldana 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 | #1,015 | #1,044 | -2.9% |
| Count | 34,434 | 33,069 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 11.67 | 11.06 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saldana bearers went from 34,434 to 33,069 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,015 to #1,044.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Saldana
FAQ
Saldana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saldana?
Name Census estimates that about 37,921 living Americans carry the surname Saldana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,039 residents.
How common is Saldana?
Saldana ranks #1,044 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,069 people with the surname Saldana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (37,921), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Saldana.
Has Saldana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saldana went from 34,434 recorded bearers to 33,069. That is a decrease of 1,365 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,015 to #1,044.
What does the Census say about the background of Saldana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saldana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Saldana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (30,342 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saldana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.8%), White (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Saldana (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 Saldana mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Saldaña, derived from the Castilian word "saldaña" meaning "plum tree." 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 Saldana (11.06 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 Americans have the surname Saldana?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.