2000
#10,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,686
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Amado
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the past participle of the verb "amar," meaning "loved" or "beloved."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,011 Americans carry the last name Amado. That puts it at #8,978 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,454 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amado 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
4.0K
1 in 85,454
Census rank
#8,978
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,498 bearers of the surname Amado in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8978th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (16.6%) and Black (14.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amado
The surname Amado originated in Portugal, likely derived from the Portuguese word "amado," meaning "beloved" or "loved." This name traces its roots back to the 13th century, a time when surnames were becoming more common in Europe.
Amado is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were highly regarded or beloved within their communities. It may have also been bestowed upon children who were particularly cherished or loved by their parents.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Amado can be found in the Portuguese royal archives from the 14th century. These records mention a nobleman named João Amado, who served as a courtier during the reign of King Afonso IV (1325-1357).
In the 15th century, the surname Amado appeared in various historical documents across Portugal, including land records and legal documents. For instance, a merchant named Pedro Amado was mentioned in a trade agreement from 1478 in the city of Porto.
During the Age of Exploration, the name Amado spread beyond Portugal as Portuguese explorers and settlers ventured to different parts of the world. Notable individuals with this surname include Fernão Amado, a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1498.
In the 16th century, the Amado surname was found in regions of Brazil, which was a Portuguese colony at the time. One of the earliest recorded Amados in Brazil was Antônio Amado, a landowner and farmer who settled in the state of Bahia in the mid-1500s.
Throughout the centuries, the Amado surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, and politicians. Some notable figures with this surname include:
1. Jorge Amado (1912-2001), a renowned Brazilian novelist and one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
2. João Amado (1898-1962), a Portuguese poet and writer who was a prominent figure in the Modernist literary movement.
3. Luis Amado (1920-2005), a Mexican actor and director who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.
4. Manuel Amado (1913-1994), a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker and represented his country in the 1938 FIFA World Cup.
5. Antônio Amado (1687-1756), a Brazilian architect and engineer who designed several important buildings and structures in the city of Salvador.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amado
Among Census respondents with the surname Amado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (16.6%) and Black (14.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Amado 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 Amado surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino59.9% · 2,094
- White16.6% · 582
- Black or African American14.9% · 522
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 164
- Two or more races3.4% · 118
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amado
Amado 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
#8,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,680
+994 bearers (+37.0%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Up 1,985 places
2020
#8,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,498
-182 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 82 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,881 | 2,686 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,896 | 3,680 | 1.25 | +994 bearers (+37.0%) | Up 1,985 places |
| 2020 | #8,978 | 3,498 | 1.17 | -182 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 82 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 Amado 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 | #8,896 | #8,978 | -0.9% |
| Count | 3,680 | 3,498 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.17 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amado bearers went from 3,680 to 3,498 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 82 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,896 to #8,978.
FAQ
Amado surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amado?
Name Census estimates that about 4,011 living Americans carry the surname Amado. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,454 residents.
How common is Amado?
Amado ranks #8,978 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,498 people with the surname Amado. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,011), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Amado.
Has Amado become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amado went from 3,680 recorded bearers to 3,498. That is a decrease of 182 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,896 to #8,978.
What does the Census say about the background of Amado?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (16.6%) and Black (14.9%). 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 Amado in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.9% (2,094 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amado appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (59.9%), White (16.6%), Black (14.9%). 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 Amado (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 Amado mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the past participle of the verb "amar," meaning "loved" or "beloved." 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 Amado (1.17 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 Amado?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.