2000
#9,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,170
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Bobadilla
A Spanish locational surname derived from any of the several places named Bobadilla, meaning "Boba's town."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,066 Americans carry the last name Bobadilla. That puts it at #7,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,658 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bobadilla 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
5.1K
1 in 67,658
Census rank
#7,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,418 bearers of the surname Bobadilla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobadilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and White (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bobadilla
The surname Bobadilla has its origins in Spain, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish town of Bobadilla, located in the province of Malaga, Andalusia. The name itself is derived from the Latin word "bovarius," meaning "oxherd" or "cowherd," suggesting that the earliest bearers of the name may have been involved in cattle herding or farming.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bobadilla can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Bobadilla, indicating their presence in various regions of Spain during that time.
In the 15th century, Beatriz de Bobadilla (c. 1440-1501) was a prominent Spanish noblewoman who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Isabella I of Castile. She played a significant role in the court and was involved in the negotiations for the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella, which ultimately united the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile.
Another notable figure with the surname Bobadilla was Francisco de Bobadilla (c. 1458-1502), a Spanish nobleman and colonial administrator. In 1499, he was appointed by the Spanish Crown to investigate the governance of Christopher Columbus in the Indies. Upon his arrival in Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic), Bobadilla arrested Columbus and temporarily took control of the colony before being replaced himself in 1502.
In the 16th century, the Bobadilla family had a strong presence in the Spanish colonial empire. Jerónimo de Bobadilla (c. 1520-1590) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He later served as a royal inspector and played a role in the administration of the Spanish colonies in South America.
Another prominent figure was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), the renowned Spanish novelist and author of the classic work "Don Quixote." Although his surname was Cervantes, his mother's maiden name was Bobadilla, linking him to the family lineage.
As the Bobadilla surname spread across Spain and its colonies, it also became associated with various place names, such as Bobadilla de Alcolea in the province of Albacete, and Bobadilla del Campo in the province of Valladolid.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bobadilla
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobadilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and White (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bobadilla 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 Bobadilla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.3% · 3,947
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 226
- White4.0% · 178
- Two or more races1.1% · 49
- Black or African American0.2% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bobadilla
Bobadilla 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
#7,303
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,566
+1,396 bearers (+44.0%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 2,110 places
2020
#7,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,418
-148 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Up 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,413 | 3,170 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,303 | 4,566 | 1.55 | +1,396 bearers (+44.0%) | Up 2,110 places |
| 2020 | #7,273 | 4,418 | 1.48 | -148 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 30 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 Bobadilla 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 | #7,303 | #7,273 | 0.4% |
| Count | 4,566 | 4,418 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.48 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bobadilla bearers went from 4,566 to 4,418 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,303 to #7,273.
FAQ
Bobadilla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bobadilla?
Name Census estimates that about 5,066 living Americans carry the surname Bobadilla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,658 residents.
How common is Bobadilla?
Bobadilla ranks #7,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,418 people with the surname Bobadilla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Bobadilla.
Has Bobadilla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bobadilla went from 4,566 recorded bearers to 4,418. That is a decrease of 148 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,303 to #7,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Bobadilla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobadilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and White (4.0%). 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 Bobadilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (3,947 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bobadilla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%), White (4.0%). 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 Bobadilla (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 Bobadilla mean?
A Spanish locational surname derived from any of the several places named Bobadilla, meaning "Boba's town." 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 Bobadilla (1.48 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 Americans have the surname Bobadilla?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.