2000
#4,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,745
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.87
Uncommon Last name
Bolanos
A Spanish habitational surname indicating the person is from any of several places called Bolaños in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,268 Americans carry the last name Bolanos. That puts it at #3,031 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,833 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolanos 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
13K
1 in 25,833
Census rank
#3,031
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,570 bearers of the surname Bolanos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3031st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolanos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bolanos
The surname Bolanos originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "bolano," which means "belonging to the marsh." This suggests that the name likely originated from a specific geographic location or region characterized by marshlands.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bolanos can be traced back to the 12th century in various medieval documents and records from the Iberian Peninsula. Some of these documents include the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Majordoms) and the "Fuero Viejo de Castilla" (Old Charter of Castile), both of which mention individuals bearing the Bolanos surname.
One notable historical figure with the surname Bolanos was Juan de Bolanos, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Juan de Bolanos was born in Salamanca, Spain, around 1490 and played a significant role in the subjugation of the Aztec Empire.
Another prominent individual with the Bolanos surname was Miguel de Bolanos, a Spanish painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century. Born in Seville in 1612, Miguel de Bolanos was renowned for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which adorned churches and monasteries throughout Spain.
In the 18th century, Francisco de Bolanos y Novoa, a Spanish military officer and administrator, served as the governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1783 to 1789. He was born in Galicia, Spain, in 1738 and played a crucial role in the administration of the Spanish colonies in Central America.
During the 19th century, José María Bolanos y Cacho, a Mexican politician and lawyer, served as the governor of the state of Jalisco from 1857 to 1859. He was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, in 1810 and was a prominent figure in the liberal movement in Mexico during that era.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Rubén Bolanos, a Mexican writer and poet, gained recognition for his literary works, including the novel "La Virgen de los Sicarios" (Our Lady of the Assassins). Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, in 1927, Bolanos explored themes of violence, drug trafficking, and societal decay in his writings.
While the surname Bolanos has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly Latin America, due to the Spanish colonization and migration patterns over the centuries. The name has endured as a testament to its rich historical and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolanos
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolanos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolanos 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 Bolanos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.4% · 10,809
- White4.5% · 516
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 172
- Black or African American0.3% · 38
- Two or more races0.2% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolanos
Bolanos 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
#3,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,829
+4,084 bearers (+52.7%)
Per 100,000 4.01
Rank movement Up 1,207 places
2020
#3,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,570
-259 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.87
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,236 | 7,745 | 2.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,029 | 11,829 | 4.01 | +4,084 bearers (+52.7%) | Up 1,207 places |
| 2020 | #3,031 | 11,570 | 3.87 | -259 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 2 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 Bolanos 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 | #3,029 | #3,031 | -0.1% |
| Count | 11,829 | 11,570 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.01 | 3.87 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolanos bearers went from 11,829 to 11,570 (-2.2% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,029 to #3,031.
FAQ
Bolanos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolanos?
Name Census estimates that about 13,268 living Americans carry the surname Bolanos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,833 residents.
How common is Bolanos?
Bolanos ranks #3,031 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,570 people with the surname Bolanos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bolanos.
Has Bolanos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolanos went from 11,829 recorded bearers to 11,570. That is a decrease of 259 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,029 to #3,031.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolanos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolanos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Bolanos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (10,809 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolanos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.4%), White (4.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Bolanos (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 Bolanos mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating the person is from any of several places called Bolaños in Spain. 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 Bolanos (3.87 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 Bolanos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.