2000
#98,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bamaca
A surname with Arabic origins indicating one's ancestors came from the town of Bamaca.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 968 Americans carry the last name Bamaca. That puts it at #29,761 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 354,085 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bamaca 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
968
1 in 354,085
Census rank
#29,761
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
844
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 844 bearers of the surname Bamaca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29761st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bamaca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bamaca
The surname BAMACA has its origins in the small village of Bamaca, located in the mountainous region of northern Guatemala. This Mayan-derived name dates back to at least the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors first encountered the indigenous people of the area.
The name is believed to stem from the Mayan phrase "ba'maca," which roughly translates to "place of the wooden houses." This suggests that the village of Bamaca was once known for its unique architectural style, with homes constructed primarily from local timber resources.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the BAMACA surname can be found in the colonial archives of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, which document a land dispute involving a family by the name of Bamaca in the late 1600s.
During the 18th century, a notable figure named Sebastián BAMACA (1724-1802) rose to prominence as a respected community leader and advocate for the rights of indigenous Guatemalans. His efforts to preserve traditional Mayan customs and resist Spanish cultural assimilation earned him a reputation as a courageous defender of his people.
In the early 19th century, a prominent BAMACA family established a successful cocoa plantation in the region, contributing to the area's economic growth and prosperity. One member of this family, María BAMACA (1819-1892), was renowned for her philanthropic efforts, founding several schools and hospitals for the local population.
Another notable individual bearing the BAMACA name was Juan BAMACA (1871-1945), a renowned artist and sculptor whose works captured the rich cultural heritage of Guatemala's indigenous communities. His intricate carvings and sculptures can be found in museums and galleries throughout Central America.
In more recent history, Efraín BAMACA (1941-1994) gained international recognition as a human rights activist and guerrilla leader during Guatemala's civil war. His tragic disappearance and presumed murder by military forces brought global attention to the ongoing human rights abuses in the country.
Throughout its long history, the BAMACA surname has maintained a strong presence in Guatemala, particularly in the northern regions where it originated. While the name has undoubtedly spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, its roots remain firmly planted in the rugged landscapes and rich cultural traditions of its Mayan ancestors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bamaca
Among Census respondents with the surname Bamaca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bamaca 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 Bamaca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.3% · 813
- White2.8% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
- Two or more races0.4% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bamaca
Bamaca 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
#35,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 631
+460 bearers (+269.0%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 62,676 places
2020
#29,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 844
+213 bearers (+33.8%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 5,861 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,298 | 171 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,622 | 631 | 0.21 | +460 bearers (+269.0%) | Up 62,676 places |
| 2020 | #29,761 | 844 | 0.28 | +213 bearers (+33.8%) | Up 5,861 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 Bamaca 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 | #35,622 | #29,761 | 16.5% |
| Count | 631 | 844 | 33.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.28 | 34.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bamaca bearers went from 631 to 844 (+33.8% change). The surname moved up 5,861 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,622 to #29,761.
FAQ
Bamaca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bamaca?
Name Census estimates that about 968 living Americans carry the surname Bamaca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 354,085 residents.
How common is Bamaca?
Bamaca ranks #29,761 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 844 people with the surname Bamaca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (968), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Bamaca.
Has Bamaca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bamaca went from 631 recorded bearers to 844. That is an increase of 213 (+33.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,622 to #29,761.
What does the Census say about the background of Bamaca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bamaca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Black (0.4%). 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 Bamaca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (813 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bamaca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.3%), White (2.8%), Black (0.4%). 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 Bamaca (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 Bamaca mean?
A surname with Arabic origins indicating one's ancestors came from the town of Bamaca. 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 Bamaca (0.28 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 common is the surname Bamaca?
If you just want to know how common the surname Bamaca is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.