2000
#9,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Ancheta
A Basque surname derived from the word "antxeta," meaning "hawthorn" or "hawthorn tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,423 Americans carry the last name Ancheta. That puts it at #8,228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,494 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ancheta 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
4.4K
1 in 77,494
Census rank
#8,228
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,857 bearers of the surname Ancheta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ancheta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Two or More Races (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ancheta
The surname Ancheta is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Asturias, located in northern Spain. The name is derived from the Spanish word "ancheta," which means "small valley" or "small basin."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ancheta can be found in the archives of the Archivo General de Indias, which contains documents related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In these archives, there are references to individuals bearing the surname Ancheta who were involved in the conquest and settlement of various regions in Latin America during the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the 17th century, a notable individual named Juan Ancheta (born around 1620) was a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the expeditions led by Hernán Cortés in Mexico. He played a significant role in the conquest of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.
Another historical figure with the surname Ancheta was Pedro Ancheta (1557-1628), a Spanish Jesuit missionary who traveled to the Philippines in the late 16th century. He was instrumental in establishing the Jesuit order and spreading Christianity in the archipelago.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual named Manuel Ancheta (1833-1896) was a Mexican lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Mexico from 1884 to 1888 and played a crucial role in resolving territorial disputes between Mexico and the United States.
Additionally, the surname Ancheta can be found in various place names in Spain, such as Ancheta de Tajo, a municipality in the province of Toledo, and Ancheta de Campos, a village in the province of Valladolid.
It's worth noting that the surname Ancheta has also been associated with notable individuals in other parts of the world, particularly in Latin America, where it was likely carried by Spanish settlers during the colonial era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ancheta
Among Census respondents with the surname Ancheta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Two or More Races (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ancheta 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 Ancheta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander69.4% · 2,678
- Hispanic or Latino15.0% · 578
- Two or more races8.0% · 310
- White5.7% · 220
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 56
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ancheta
Ancheta 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
#8,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,661
+676 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 1,032 places
2020
#8,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,857
+196 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 713 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,973 | 2,985 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,941 | 3,661 | 1.24 | +676 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 1,032 places |
| 2020 | #8,228 | 3,857 | 1.29 | +196 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 713 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 Ancheta 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 | #8,941 | #8,228 | 8.0% |
| Count | 3,661 | 3,857 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.29 | 4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ancheta bearers went from 3,661 to 3,857 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 713 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,941 to #8,228.
FAQ
Ancheta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ancheta?
Name Census estimates that about 4,423 living Americans carry the surname Ancheta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,494 residents.
How common is Ancheta?
Ancheta ranks #8,228 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,857 people with the surname Ancheta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,423), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Ancheta.
Has Ancheta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ancheta went from 3,661 recorded bearers to 3,857. That is an increase of 196 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,941 to #8,228.
What does the Census say about the background of Ancheta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ancheta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Two or More Races (8.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ancheta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (2,678 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ancheta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (69.4%), Hispanic (15.0%), Two or More Races (8.0%). 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 Ancheta (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 Ancheta mean?
A Basque surname derived from the word "antxeta," meaning "hawthorn" or "hawthorn 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 Ancheta (1.29 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 Ancheta?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.