2000
#21,039
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Acero
Spanish occupational surname derived from the word "acero," meaning "steel," referring to a steelworker or someone who works with steel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,149 Americans carry the last name Acero. That puts it at #15,111 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acero 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
2.1K
1 in 159,495
Census rank
#15,111
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,874 bearers of the surname Acero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15111th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acero
The surname Acero is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Spanish word "acero," meaning steel, which in turn comes from the Latin word "acies," meaning edge or point.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Acero can be found in the Cartulario de Cardeña, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña in the province of Burgos, Spain. This document, dating back to the 12th century, includes references to individuals bearing the name Acero, suggesting that the surname was already in use by that time.
The surname Acero may have initially been associated with individuals involved in metalworking or the production of steel, as it was common for surnames to originate from occupations or trades during the Middle Ages. It is also possible that the name was initially a nickname or descriptive surname, referring to someone with a strong or unyielding character, akin to steel.
One notable figure in history who bore the surname Acero was Juan Acero, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the 16th century. Juan Acero was born in Seville, Spain, around 1490 and played a significant role in several battles against the Aztec Empire.
Another prominent individual with the surname Acero was Gaspar Acero, a Spanish missionary and linguist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Gaspar Acero was born in Seville in 1570 and is known for his work in translating religious texts into indigenous languages in South America, particularly Quechua.
In the 17th century, Pedro Acero was a Spanish painter who specialized in religious artwork and is known for his contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish art. Pedro Acero was born in Madrid in 1635 and his works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
During the 19th century, Manuel Acero was a notable Chilean politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Chilean Congress and played an important role in the country's legal and political affairs. Manuel Acero was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1820 and was a prominent figure in Chilean politics until his death in 1892.
More recently, in the 20th century, José María Acero was a Spanish philosopher and author who made significant contributions to the field of philosophical logic and epistemology. José María Acero was born in Madrid in 1923 and published several influential works on topics such as rationality, knowledge, and the philosophy of language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acero
Among Census respondents with the surname Acero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Acero 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 Acero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.2% · 1,652
- White5.6% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.2% · 97
- Two or more races0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acero
Acero 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
#16,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,735
+571 bearers (+49.1%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 4,495 places
2020
#15,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,874
+139 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 1,433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,039 | 1,164 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,544 | 1,735 | 0.59 | +571 bearers (+49.1%) | Up 4,495 places |
| 2020 | #15,111 | 1,874 | 0.63 | +139 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 1,433 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 Acero 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 | #16,544 | #15,111 | 8.7% |
| Count | 1,735 | 1,874 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.63 | 6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acero bearers went from 1,735 to 1,874 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 1,433 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,544 to #15,111.
FAQ
Acero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acero?
Name Census estimates that about 2,149 living Americans carry the surname Acero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,495 residents.
How common is Acero?
Acero ranks #15,111 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,874 people with the surname Acero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Acero.
Has Acero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acero went from 1,735 recorded bearers to 1,874. That is an increase of 139 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,544 to #15,111.
What does the Census say about the background of Acero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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 Acero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (1,652 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.2%), White (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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 Acero (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 Acero mean?
Spanish occupational surname derived from the word "acero," meaning "steel," referring to a steelworker or someone who works with steel. 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 Acero (0.63 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 share the surname Acero?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.