2000
#4,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,714
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.86
Uncommon Last name
Ballesteros
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a crossbowman or arbalester.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,505 Americans carry the last name Ballesteros. That puts it at #3,469 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,792 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ballesteros 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ballesteros with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,792
Census rank
#3,469
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,033 bearers of the surname Ballesteros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3469th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballesteros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.4%) and White (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ballesteros
The surname Ballesteros has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "ballestero," which refers to a crossbowman or an archer. This occupation-based surname suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the military or hunting professions, where expertise in archery or crossbow use was a valuable skill.
The Ballesteros name can be traced back to various regions within Spain, particularly in areas where these skilled archers were employed or stationed. Some early records indicate that the name was prevalent in regions such as Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia, where crossbowmen played a significant role in military campaigns and hunting activities.
Historical references to the Ballesteros surname can be found in various medieval documents and records. One notable example is the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise written in the 14th century during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile, which mentions several individuals with the surname Ballesteros involved in royal hunts and falconry expeditions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the Ballesteros surname was Rodrigo Ballesteros, a renowned crossbowman who served under King Alfonso X of Castile (1252-1284) and participated in the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule.
Another prominent figure was Juan Ballesteros, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Ballesteros played a crucial role in the exploration and mapping of the Caribbean islands during this expedition.
In the 16th century, Hernán Ballesteros was a renowned Spanish architect who designed and constructed several churches and monastic buildings in Seville and other parts of Andalusia, leaving a lasting architectural legacy.
During the Spanish Golden Age, the Ballesteros name was also associated with the arts. Miguel Ballesteros (1570-1638) was a celebrated Spanish painter known for his religious and mythological works, many of which can be found in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
In the 19th century, Antonio Ballesteros y Beretta (1835-1917) was a prominent Spanish historian and statesman who served as the Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts, contributing significantly to the preservation of Spain's cultural heritage.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Ballesteros, reflecting the name's deep roots in Spanish culture and its association with various professions and achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ballesteros
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballesteros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.4%) and White (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ballesteros 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 Ballesteros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.7% · 7,794
- Asian and Pacific Islander15.4% · 1,541
- White4.9% · 493
- Two or more races1.3% · 129
- Black or African American0.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ballesteros
Ballesteros 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
#3,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,261
+2,547 bearers (+33.0%)
Per 100,000 3.48
Rank movement Up 767 places
2020
#3,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,033
-228 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.36
Rank movement Up 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,248 | 7,714 | 2.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,481 | 10,261 | 3.48 | +2,547 bearers (+33.0%) | Up 767 places |
| 2020 | #3,469 | 10,033 | 3.36 | -228 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 12 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 Ballesteros 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 | #3,481 | #3,469 | 0.3% |
| Count | 10,261 | 10,033 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.48 | 3.36 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ballesteros bearers went from 10,261 to 10,033 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,481 to #3,469.
FAQ
Ballesteros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ballesteros?
Name Census estimates that about 11,505 living Americans carry the surname Ballesteros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,792 residents.
How common is Ballesteros?
Ballesteros ranks #3,469 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,033 people with the surname Ballesteros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,505), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ballesteros.
Has Ballesteros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ballesteros went from 10,261 recorded bearers to 10,033. That is a decrease of 228 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,481 to #3,469.
What does the Census say about the background of Ballesteros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballesteros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.4%) and White (4.9%). 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 Ballesteros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.7% (7,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ballesteros appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (15.4%), White (4.9%). 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 Ballesteros (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 Ballesteros mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a crossbowman or arbalester. 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 Ballesteros (3.36 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 Ballesteros?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.