2000
#20,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Betancur
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "place of broom plant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,123 Americans carry the last name Betancur. That puts it at #15,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,448 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Betancur 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
2.1K
1 in 161,448
Census rank
#15,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,851 bearers of the surname Betancur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Betancur, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Betancur
The surname Betancur has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Extremadura. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century during the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim territories from the Moors.
The name Betancur is thought to be derived from the Basque words "bete" meaning full or complete, and "antzur" meaning valley or ravine. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived in a full or complete valley. Alternatively, it could have been a topographical descriptor for a particular area or region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Betancur can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that chronicles the distribution of properties and land grants in the city of Seville after its reconquest by King Ferdinand III of Castile in 1248. The name appears in this document, indicating that individuals bearing the surname Betancur were present in the region at that time.
In the 14th century, there are records of a prominent individual named Alonso Betancur, who served as a military commander during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. Alonso Betancur played a significant role in the Battle of Salado in 1340, where the Christian forces decisively defeated the Marinid Sultanate of Morocco.
During the 15th century, the surname Betancur gained prominence in the region of Extremadura, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such individual was Pedro Betancur, a renowned poet and writer who lived from 1430 to 1498. His works were widely celebrated during his lifetime and contributed to the rich literary culture of the region.
In the 16th century, the conquistador Juan Betancur was among the first Spanish explorers to venture into the Americas. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in 1519 and played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Juan Betancur was also involved in the exploration and settlement of various regions in present-day Mexico and Central America.
Another notable figure with the surname Betancur was Fray Pedro de Betancur, a Spanish missionary and saint who lived from 1626 to 1667. He dedicated his life to serving the poor and establishing schools and hospitals in Guatemala. Fray Pedro de Betancur was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1667, making him a significant religious figure associated with the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Betancur
Among Census respondents with the surname Betancur, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Betancur 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 Betancur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.2% · 1,726
- White5.7% · 106
- Two or more races0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Betancur
Betancur 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
#16,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,690
+468 bearers (+38.3%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 3,392 places
2020
#15,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,851
+161 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 1,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,260 | 1,222 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,868 | 1,690 | 0.57 | +468 bearers (+38.3%) | Up 3,392 places |
| 2020 | #15,273 | 1,851 | 0.62 | +161 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 1,595 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 Betancur 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 | #16,868 | #15,273 | 9.5% |
| Count | 1,690 | 1,851 | 9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.62 | 8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Betancur bearers went from 1,690 to 1,851 (+9.5% change). The surname moved up 1,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,868 to #15,273.
FAQ
Betancur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Betancur?
Name Census estimates that about 2,123 living Americans carry the surname Betancur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,448 residents.
How common is Betancur?
Betancur ranks #15,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,851 people with the surname Betancur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Betancur.
Has Betancur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Betancur went from 1,690 recorded bearers to 1,851. That is an increase of 161 (+9.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,868 to #15,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Betancur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Betancur, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Betancur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (1,726 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Betancur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.2%), White (5.7%), Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Betancur (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 Betancur mean?
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "place of broom plant". 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 Betancur (0.62 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 Betancur?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.