2000
#16,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,602
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Banos
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or originated from a place with baths or hot springs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,915 Americans carry the last name Banos. That puts it at #11,786 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,583 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banos 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
2.9K
1 in 117,583
Census rank
#11,786
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,542 bearers of the surname Banos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11786th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.6%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banos
The surname BANOS is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula. It derives from the Spanish word "baños," which refers to public baths or thermal springs. This suggests that the name may have originated from individuals who lived near or were associated with such facilities.
The earliest recorded instances of the BANOS surname can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in regions like Aragon and Castile. During this period, variations such as "Bannos" and "Bannios" were also in use, reflecting the linguistic evolution of the name over time.
In the 15th century, the BANOS surname gained prominence with the birth of Juan de Banos (1462-1543), a Spanish philosopher and theologian renowned for his contributions to scholastic thought. His writings and teachings at the University of Salamanca earned him significant recognition during the Renaissance era.
Another notable figure bearing the BANOS surname was Diego de Banos (1510-1578), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to Peru. His accounts of the conquests and encounters with indigenous civilizations provide valuable insights into the early colonial period in South America.
In the 17th century, the BANOS surname found its way to the Americas through Spanish colonization. One prominent individual from this era was Sebastián de Banos (1625-1698), a Jesuit missionary who established missions and worked among the indigenous populations in present-day Mexico and California.
The 18th century saw the birth of José de Banos (1720-1804), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1786 to 1791. His tenure was marked by efforts to fortify the island's defenses and promote economic development.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the BANOS surname gained further recognition with the birth of Manuel Banos (1873-1945), a Spanish painter and illustrator known for his vibrant depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works are celebrated for capturing the essence of traditional Spanish culture and traditions.
Throughout its history, the BANOS surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Banos de la Encina in Jaén, Spain, and Banos de Ebro in Álava, Spain, further reflecting the surname's connection to thermal springs and bathing facilities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banos
Among Census respondents with the surname Banos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.6%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Banos 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 Banos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.5% · 2,200
- White11.6% · 296
- Black or African American0.8% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- Two or more races0.5% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banos
Banos 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
#12,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,455
+853 bearers (+53.2%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 3,910 places
2020
#11,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,542
+87 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,517 | 1,602 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,607 | 2,455 | 0.83 | +853 bearers (+53.2%) | Up 3,910 places |
| 2020 | #11,786 | 2,542 | 0.85 | +87 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 821 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 Banos 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 | #12,607 | #11,786 | 6.5% |
| Count | 2,455 | 2,542 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.85 | 2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banos bearers went from 2,455 to 2,542 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 821 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,607 to #11,786.
FAQ
Banos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banos?
Name Census estimates that about 2,915 living Americans carry the surname Banos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,583 residents.
How common is Banos?
Banos ranks #11,786 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,542 people with the surname Banos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,915), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Banos.
Has Banos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banos went from 2,455 recorded bearers to 2,542. That is an increase of 87 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,607 to #11,786.
What does the Census say about the background of Banos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.6%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Banos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (2,200 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.5%), White (11.6%), Black (0.8%). 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 Banos (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 Banos mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or originated from a place with baths or hot springs. 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 Banos (0.85 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 have the last name Banos?
You can see how many people are called Banos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.