2000
#12,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,360
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Becerril
Derived from a place name referring to a pasture or enclosure for young bulls or calves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,089 Americans carry the last name Becerril. That puts it at #8,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,824 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Becerril 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
4.1K
1 in 83,824
Census rank
#8,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,566 bearers of the surname Becerril in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Becerril, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Becerril
The surname Becerril originated in Spain, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 8th century during the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The name is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "becerro," meaning "young bull" or "calf," suggesting a possible connection to livestock or farming activities.
Historically, the name Becerril has been associated with various regions in Spain, particularly the provinces of Segovia, Avila, and Madrid. It is thought to have evolved from the Latin word "vitellus," which also means "calf" or "young bull." This linguistic connection hints at the name's agricultural origins in rural areas where cattle breeding and farming were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Becerril can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This document references a place called "Becerril de la Sierra" in the province of Madrid, indicating the presence of the name in that region during the Middle Ages.
Several notable historical figures have borne the surname Becerril. One of the earliest was Diego Becerril, a 15th-century Spanish nobleman and military leader who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors. Another prominent individual was Alonso Becerril, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the Spanish conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés.
In the realm of literature, Miguel Becerril y Arteaga (1584-1662) was a Spanish poet and playwright who contributed to the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works, such as "La renegada de Valladolid" (The Renegade of Valladolid), explored themes of love, honor, and societal norms.
The Becerril surname also has connections to religious figures. Fray Alonso Becerril (1561-1624) was a Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who served as a missionary in Mexico and wrote extensively on indigenous languages and customs.
Lastly, Juan Becerril (1924-2006) was a prominent Spanish painter and sculptor known for his abstract and avant-garde works. His artistic contributions earned him recognition both in Spain and internationally, with his pieces displayed in numerous galleries and museums.
While the name Becerril has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and the United States, through migration and descendants of Spanish settlers and immigrants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Becerril
Among Census respondents with the surname Becerril, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Becerril 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 Becerril surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.6% · 3,374
- White4.4% · 158
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
- Two or more races0.2% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Becerril
Becerril 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
#8,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,881
+1,521 bearers (+64.4%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Up 3,631 places
2020
#8,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,566
-315 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,122 | 2,360 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,491 | 3,881 | 1.32 | +1,521 bearers (+64.4%) | Up 3,631 places |
| 2020 | #8,826 | 3,566 | 1.19 | -315 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 335 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 Becerril 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 | #8,491 | #8,826 | -3.9% |
| Count | 3,881 | 3,566 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.19 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Becerril bearers went from 3,881 to 3,566 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 335 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,491 to #8,826.
FAQ
Becerril surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Becerril?
Name Census estimates that about 4,089 living Americans carry the surname Becerril. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,824 residents.
How common is Becerril?
Becerril ranks #8,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 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 3,566 people with the surname Becerril. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,089), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 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 Becerril.
Has Becerril become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Becerril went from 3,881 recorded bearers to 3,566. That is a decrease of 315 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,491 to #8,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Becerril?
Among Census respondents with the surname Becerril, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Becerril in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (3,374 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Becerril appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.6%), White (4.4%), Black (0.5%). 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 Becerril (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 Becerril mean?
Derived from a place name referring to a pasture or enclosure for young bulls or calves. 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 Becerril (1.19 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 surname Becerril?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.