2000
#2,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,905
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.78
Uncommon Last name
Aponte
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone who lived near a bridge or derived from the Spanish word "puente".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,884 Americans carry the last name Aponte. That puts it at #2,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,151 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aponte 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
19K
1 in 18,151
Census rank
#2,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,468 bearers of the surname Aponte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aponte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aponte
The surname Aponte originated in Spain and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "punta," meaning "point" or "cape," suggesting that the name may have been associated with a particular geographic location or landmark.
The earliest recorded instances of the Aponte surname can be found in medieval documents and records from various regions of Spain, particularly in the areas of Andalusia and Castile. The name was likely adopted as a descriptive identifier, possibly referring to an individual who lived near a prominent point or promontory.
One notable historical reference to the Aponte surname is found in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition, where several individuals bearing this name were documented during the 16th and 17th centuries. This suggests that the Aponte family had established themselves in Spain during that period.
In the 18th century, Juan Bautista Aponte (1744-1811) was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1799 to 1804. His leadership during this period played a significant role in the development of the island.
Another notable figure with the Aponte surname was José Antonio Aponte (1765-1812), a free man of color and leader of an alleged anti-colonial conspiracy in Cuba. He was executed for his involvement in the planned rebellion, which aimed to overthrow Spanish rule and establish an independent black republic.
In the 19th century, Ignacio Aponte (1812-1874) was a renowned Cuban poet and playwright, celebrated for his contributions to the development of Cuban literature and culture. His works explored themes of freedom, independence, and national identity.
The surname Aponte can also be found in various place names across Spain and its former colonies, such as Punta Aponte in Puerto Rico and Cerro Aponte in Cuba, further reinforcing the geographic connotations of the name.
Historically, the Aponte surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, including Aponte, Apunte, and Punta, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions throughout its evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aponte
Among Census respondents with the surname Aponte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Aponte 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 Aponte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 14,877
- White7.2% · 1,179
- Black or African American1.6% · 262
- Two or more races0.5% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aponte
Aponte 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
#2,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,828
+2,923 bearers (+22.7%)
Per 100,000 5.37
Rank movement Up 270 places
2020
#2,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,468
+640 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 5.51
Rank movement Up 160 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,575 | 12,905 | 4.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,305 | 15,828 | 5.37 | +2,923 bearers (+22.7%) | Up 270 places |
| 2020 | #2,145 | 16,468 | 5.51 | +640 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 160 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 Aponte 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 | #2,305 | #2,145 | 6.9% |
| Count | 15,828 | 16,468 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.37 | 5.51 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aponte bearers went from 15,828 to 16,468 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 160 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,305 to #2,145.
FAQ
Aponte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aponte?
Name Census estimates that about 18,884 living Americans carry the surname Aponte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,151 residents.
How common is Aponte?
Aponte ranks #2,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,468 people with the surname Aponte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,884), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Aponte.
Has Aponte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aponte went from 15,828 recorded bearers to 16,468. That is an increase of 640 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,305 to #2,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Aponte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aponte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Aponte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (14,877 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aponte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (7.2%), Black (1.6%). 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 Aponte (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 Aponte mean?
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone who lived near a bridge or derived from the Spanish word "puente". 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 Aponte (5.51 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 are called Aponte?
See how many people are called Aponte on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.