2000
#2,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,260
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.29
Uncommon Last name
Banuelos
A Spanish locational surname derived from the place name Bañuelos, meaning "little baths" or "little bathing places."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,585 Americans carry the last name Banuelos. That puts it at #1,962 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,651 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banuelos 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
21K
1 in 16,651
Census rank
#1,962
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,951 bearers of the surname Banuelos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1962nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banuelos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banuelos
The surname Banuelos has its origins in Spain and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "banuelo," which means "small bath" or "small pool." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near or worked in areas with small baths or pools.
The earliest recorded instances of the Banuelos surname can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records. Some historians believe that the name may have originated in the region of Andalusia, where Arabic influence was particularly strong during the Moorish rule of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Banuelos surname was Juan Banuelos, a Spanish nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in historical records as a prominent landowner and influential figure in the region of Castile.
Another notable individual with the Banuelos surname was Hernán Banuelos, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the early 16th century. Banuelos played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and is mentioned in various accounts of the time.
In the 17th century, the Banuelos surname appeared in various parts of Spain, including Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Pedro Banuelos, a renowned artist and painter who was active in Seville.
The Banuelos surname also has a presence in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world, including Latin America. One notable figure was José Banuelos, a Mexican revolutionary who fought alongside Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, the Banuelos surname has been associated with several accomplished individuals, including the American artist and sculptor Rafael Banuelos (1921-2008) and the Mexican-American educator and activist Ramón Banuelos (1928-2011).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banuelos
Among Census respondents with the surname Banuelos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Banuelos 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 Banuelos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.3% · 17,102
- White3.8% · 676
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 42
- Two or more races0.2% · 39
- Black or African American0.2% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banuelos
Banuelos 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
#1,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,636
+4,376 bearers (+30.7%)
Per 100,000 6.32
Rank movement Up 387 places
2020
#1,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,951
-685 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 6.01
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,326 | 14,260 | 5.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,939 | 18,636 | 6.32 | +4,376 bearers (+30.7%) | Up 387 places |
| 2020 | #1,962 | 17,951 | 6.01 | -685 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 23 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 Banuelos 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 | #1,939 | #1,962 | -1.2% |
| Count | 18,636 | 17,951 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.32 | 6.01 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banuelos bearers went from 18,636 to 17,951 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,939 to #1,962.
FAQ
Banuelos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banuelos?
Name Census estimates that about 20,585 living Americans carry the surname Banuelos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,651 residents.
How common is Banuelos?
Banuelos ranks #1,962 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.01 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 17,951 people with the surname Banuelos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,585), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.01 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 Banuelos.
Has Banuelos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banuelos went from 18,636 recorded bearers to 17,951. That is a decrease of 685 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,939 to #1,962.
What does the Census say about the background of Banuelos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banuelos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Banuelos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (17,102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banuelos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.3%), White (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Banuelos (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 Banuelos mean?
A Spanish locational surname derived from the place name Bañuelos, meaning "little baths" or "little bathing places." 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 Banuelos (6.01 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 Banuelos?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Banuelos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.