2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bonifaz
A variant of the surname Bonifacio, derived from Latin meaning "good fate" or "good fortune."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 221 Americans carry the last name Bonifaz. That puts it at #100,083 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,550,925 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bonifaz 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
221
1 in 1,550,925
Census rank
#100,083
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
193
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 193 bearers of the surname Bonifaz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 100083rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonifaz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bonifaz
The surname Bonifaz is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Aragon. It is derived from the Latin name "Bonifatius," which means "good fate" or "good luck." This name was particularly popular during the Middle Ages and was often given to children in the hope that they would have a fortunate life.
The earliest known records of the Bonifaz surname date back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various documents and manuscripts from the Kingdom of Aragon. One notable mention is found in the "Cartulario de Roda," a collection of manuscripts from the monastery of Roda de Isábena, where a certain "Pedro Bonifaz" is listed as a landowner in the village of Albalate.
During the 15th century, the Bonifaz family gained prominence in the city of Zaragoza, which was then the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. Several members of the family held important positions within the local government and were involved in various commercial and agricultural activities.
One of the most notable individuals bearing the Bonifaz surname was Juan Bonifaz (1520-1589), a renowned architect who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Zaragoza, including the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and the Palace of the Dukes of Villahermosa.
Another prominent figure was Miguel Bonifaz (1675-1743), a Spanish military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession. He rose through the ranks and eventually became the governor of the city of Valencia.
In the 19th century, the Bonifaz family had also established itself in Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Argentina. One notable member was Tomás Bonifaz (1832-1907), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of Mexico to the United States during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz.
Another significant individual was Emilio Bonifaz (1866-1945), an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as a senator for the province of Buenos Aires and was a vocal advocate for workers' rights and social reforms.
Over the centuries, the Bonifaz surname has evolved and taken on various spellings, such as Bonifacio, Bonifaci, and Bonifás, but the core meaning and origin remain the same.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bonifaz
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonifaz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bonifaz 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 Bonifaz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.3% · 184
- White4.1% · 8
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bonifaz
Bonifaz 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
#91,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+69 bearers (+52.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 29,799 places
2020
#100,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 193
-7 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 8,102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #91,981 | 200 | 0.07 | +69 bearers (+52.7%) | Up 29,799 places |
| 2020 | #100,083 | 193 | 0.06 | -7 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 8,102 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 Bonifaz 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 | #91,981 | #100,083 | -8.8% |
| Count | 200 | 193 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bonifaz bearers went from 200 to 193 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 8,102 positions in the national ranking, going from #91,981 to #100,083.
FAQ
Bonifaz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bonifaz?
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the surname Bonifaz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,550,925 residents.
How common is Bonifaz?
Bonifaz ranks #100,083 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 193 people with the surname Bonifaz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (221), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bonifaz.
Has Bonifaz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bonifaz went from 200 recorded bearers to 193. That is a decrease of 7 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #91,981 to #100,083.
What does the Census say about the background of Bonifaz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonifaz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (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 Bonifaz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (184 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bonifaz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.3%), White (4.1%), Two or More Races (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 Bonifaz (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 Bonifaz mean?
A variant of the surname Bonifacio, derived from Latin meaning "good fate" or "good fortune." 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 Bonifaz (0.06 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 Bonifaz?
If you just want to know how many people are called Bonifaz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.