2010
#116,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bacalso
A Spanish surname potentially related to the word "bacalao" meaning cod or salted codfish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 233 Americans carry the last name Bacalso. That puts it at #96,193 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,471,049 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bacalso 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
233
1 in 1,471,049
Census rank
#96,193
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
203
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 203 bearers of the surname Bacalso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 96193rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacalso, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and White (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bacalso
The surname BACALSO is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Spain during the 9th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "bacalao," which means "cod fish." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in the fishing or trading of cod.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BACALSO surname can be found in the medieval Spanish manuscript "El Cantar de Mio Cid," dated around 1200 AD. This epic poem mentions a character named Pero BACALSO, who was a fisherman from the coastal town of Santander.
In the 13th century, records show that a family with the surname BACALSO resided in the town of Laredo, located in the autonomous community of Cantabria. The town of Laredo was known for its thriving fishing industry, further supporting the connection between the surname and the trade of cod.
During the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan BACALSO (1412-1489) gained recognition as a successful merchant who facilitated the export of cod from the coastal regions of Spain to other parts of Europe. His entrepreneurial endeavors helped establish the BACALSO name as a prominent one in the fishing and maritime industries.
Another individual of historical significance was Catalina BACALSO (1532-1612), a renowned navigator and explorer from the Basque region. She was one of the few women of her time to command her own ship and participated in several voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, contributing to the expansion of Spain's maritime influence.
In the 17th century, the BACALSO surname began to spread beyond Spain as members of the family migrated to various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. One such individual was Sebastián BACALSO (1610-1687), who settled in Havana, Cuba, and became a successful trader of salted cod and other seafood products.
Over the centuries, the BACALSO surname has been associated with coastal towns and villages in northern Spain, particularly in the regions of Cantabria, Asturias, and the Basque Country. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling, such as BACALSO, BACALZO, and BACALZO, its connection to the fishing and maritime industries has remained a consistent thread throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bacalso
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacalso, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and White (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bacalso 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 Bacalso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.6% · 192
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 5
- White1.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 2
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bacalso
Bacalso appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#96,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
+53 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 20,008 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #116,201 | 150 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #96,193 | 203 | 0.07 | +53 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 20,008 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 Bacalso 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 | #116,201 | #96,193 | 17.2% |
| Count | 150 | 203 | 35.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 35.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bacalso bearers went from 150 to 203 (+35.3% change). The surname moved up 20,008 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,201 to #96,193.
FAQ
Bacalso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bacalso?
Name Census estimates that about 233 living Americans carry the surname Bacalso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,471,049 residents.
How common is Bacalso?
Bacalso ranks #96,193 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 203 people with the surname Bacalso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (233), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bacalso.
Has Bacalso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bacalso went from 150 recorded bearers to 203. That is an increase of 53 (+35.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #116,201 to #96,193.
What does the Census say about the background of Bacalso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacalso, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and White (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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bacalso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bacalso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.6%), Hispanic (2.5%), White (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 Bacalso (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 Bacalso mean?
A Spanish surname potentially related to the word "bacalao" meaning cod or salted codfish. 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 Bacalso (0.07 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 Bacalso?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Bacalso on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.